Sacramento Municipal Code Ch. 8.140 Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Wildfire Risk Areas

The City Council finds as follows: (1) a principal threat to the public health, safety, and welfare is the potential destruction of, damage to, or interference with, infrastructure that is critical to the provision of public services such as law enforcement, fire prevention, transportation, and utilities including communication, water, and waste disposal; (2) destruction of, damage to, or interference with, critical infrastructure is caused by fire, contamination, restricting access, or other causes; and (3) destruction of, damage to, or interference with, critical infrastructure is often caused by persons whose activities are not permitted or authorized in, on, or near critical infrastructure.

The purpose of this chapter to mitigate the threat of fire and other potential causes of destruction and damage to and interference with, critical infrastructure, in order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public, by authorizing the removal of persons and their personal property in, on, or near critical infrastructure. (Ord. 2020-0009 § 1)

When used in this chapter, the following words and phrases have the following meanings:

"Camp" has the same meaning as in section 12.52.020.

"Camp facilities" has the same meaning as in section 12.52.020.

"Camp paraphernalia" has the same meaning as in section 12.52.020.

"Critical infrastructure" means each of the following:

1. Levees; or

2. Real property or a facility, whether privately or publicly owned, as approved by resolution of the city council, that the city manager designates as being so vital and integral to the operation or functioning of the city that its damage, incapacity, disruption, or destruction would have a debilitating impact on the public health, safety, or welfare.

Critical infrastructure may include, but is not limited to, government buildings, such as fire stations, police stations, jails, or courthouses; hospitals; structures, such as antennas, bridges, roads, train tracks, drainage systems, or levees; or systems, such as computer networks, public utilities, electrical wires, natural gas pipes, telecommunication centers, or water sources.

"Debris" has the same meaning as in section 13.10.010.

"Facility" means a building, structure, equipment, system, or asset.

"Fire prevention official" means the fire chief, a deputy fire chief, the fire marshal, or a fire prevention officer.

"Garbage" has the same meaning as in section 13.10.010.

"Hazardous waste" has the same meaning as in California Public Resources Code section 40141.

"Hollow sidewalk" means a sidewalk that has been determined to be a hollow sidewalk in "Raised Streets & Hollow Sidewalks" survey report of July 20, 2009, prepared by Page & Turnbull, Inc. for the City of Sacramento.

"Infectious waste" has the same meaning as in California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 17225.36.

"Solid waste" has the same meaning as in section 13.10.010.

"Wildfire risk area" has the same meaning as in California Code of Regulations, title 24, part 9, section 202. (Ord. 2020-0009 § 1)

A. It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia at the following locations:

1. Critical infrastructure;

2. Within 25 feet of critical infrastructure;

3. Within 25 feet of a vehicular or pedestrian entrance or exit of critical infrastructure;

4. On those portions of a right-of-way that are required by local, state, or federal law to be free of obstruction to first responders, including but not limited to members of law-enforcement, fire-prevention, or emergency-medical-services agencies;

5. Within a hollow sidewalk; or

6. Wildfire risk area.

B. It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to store personal property, including camp facilities and camp paraphernalia, in the following locations without the written consent of the owner, except as otherwise provided by resolution of the city council:

1. Critical infrastructure;

2. Within 25 feet of critical infrastructure;

3. Within 25 feet of a vehicular or pedestrian entrance or exit of critical infrastructure;

4. On those portions of a right-of-way that are required by local, state, or federal law to be free of obstruction to first responders, including but not limited to members of law-enforcement, fire-prevention, or emergency-medical-services agencies;

5. Within a hollow sidewalk; or

6. Wildfire risk area.

C. It is not intended by this section to prohibit overnight camping on private residential property by friends or family of the property owner, so long as the owner consents and the overnight camping is limited to not more than one consecutive night.

D. Nothing in this chapter is intended to prohibit or make unlawful the activities of an owner of private property or other lawful user of private property that are normally associated with and incidental to the lawful and authorized use of private property for residential or other purposes; and nothing is intended to prohibit or make unlawful the activities of a property owner or other lawful user if such activities are expressly authorized by the Planning and Development Code or other laws, ordinances, and regulations. (Ord. 2020-0009 § 1)

A. Any violation of section 8.140.030 may be abated by the city upon 24 hours of prior notice; but a violation of section 8.140.030 may be abated immediately by the city without prior notice, if the violation poses an imminent threat to public health or safety.

B. Abatement pursuant to subsection A may include, but is not limited to, removal of camp facilities, camp paraphernalia, personal property, garbage, hazardous waste, infectious waste, junk, or debris; and securing the perimeter of the property with fencing, gates, or barricades to prevent further occurrences of the nuisance activity.

C. Regardless of the city's authority to conduct abatement pursuant to this section, every owner, occupant, or lessee of real property, and every holder of any interest in real property, is required to maintain the property in compliance with local, state, and federal law; and is liable for violations thereof.

D. The cost of abatement, including all administrative costs of any action taken hereunder, may be assessed against the subject premises as a lien, made a personal obligation of the owner, or both, in accordance with procedures in article VIII of chapter 8.04. (Ord. 2020-0009 § 1)

No person shall willfully prevent, delay, resist, obstruct, or otherwise interfere with a city official, employee, contractor, or volunteer in their execution of an abatement pursuant to this chapter. (Ord. 2020-0009 § 1)

A. In addition to any other remedy allowed by law, any person who violates a provision of this chapter is subject to criminal sanctions, civil actions, and administrative penalties pursuant to chapter 1.28.

B. Violations of this chapter are hereby declared to be a public nuisance.

C. Any person who violates a provision of this chapter is liable for civil penalties of not less than $250 or more than $25,000 for each day the violation continues.

D. All remedies prescribed under this chapter are cumulative and the election of one or more remedies does not bar the city from the pursuit of any other remedy to enforce this chapter. (Ord. 2020-0009 § 1)