San Mateo Municipal Code Ch. 11.44 Parking Meters

For the statutory provisions regarding parking meter zones see Cal. Veh. C. § 22508. For provisions relating to temporary removal of meters, see Chapter 17.08.

Prior history: Prior code §§ 74.01, 74.04-74.06, 74.09, 74.12-74.22 and Ords. 1977-1, 1979-16, 1980-14, 1992-14, 1997-13, 2003-6, 2010-11 and 2012-2.

The following words when used in this chapter shall be construed as defined in this section:

(a) "Central Parking Improvement District" ("CPID") means the CPID assessment district as approved by the City Council in accordance with the Downtown Area Plan.

(b) "Operator" includes every individual who operates a vehicle as its owner or as the agent, employee or permittee of the owner.

(c) "Parking meter" means any device that accepts payment for the use of parking spaces. Such devices include, but are not limited to, parking meters, pay-by-space devices, pay-on-foot devices, and any software application that processes pay-by-phone payments from a mobile phone for the purpose of controlling the period of time a parking space is occupied by any motorized vehicle.

(d) "Premium parking area" means the geographic area bounded to the south by both sides of 4th Avenue from El Camino Real to South B Street; north by both sides of 2nd Avenue from San Mateo Drive to South B Street; to the west by both sides of San Mateo Drive; and to the east by both sides of South B Street.

(e) "Street" means any public street, avenue, road, boulevard, highway, or other public place located in the City and established for the use of vehicles.

(f) "Value parking area" means the geographic area not included in the "premium area." The following off-street parking facilities are located in the value area: Second and El Camino Garage, Transit Center Garage, Main Street Garage, Tennis Court Garage, and Parking Lots 7, 8, 10, and 11 as identified in the City's Fee Schedule and the Downtown Parking Management Plan.

(g) "Vehicle" means any device in, upon, or by which any person or property is, or may be, transported upon a street, excepting a device moved exclusively by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.

(a) Parking Meter Zones. Parking meters may be placed in any location along the public streets or the City-owned property.

(b) Parking Time Limits. The time limits for each parking meter area and for each meter shall be established by the City Manager or designee and shall apply between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. each day except for Sundays and the holidays set forth in subsection (c).

(c) Holidays. The holidays excluded and during which the parking specified in this chapter shall not be limited nor the payment of the parking charges collected shall be as follows: January 1, known as "New Year's Day" The third Monday in January, known as "Dr. Martin Luther King Day" The third Monday in February, known as "Presidents Day" The last Monday in May, known as "Memorial Day" July 4, known as "Independence Day" The first Monday in September, known as "Labor Day" November 11, known as "Veterans Day" Thanksgiving Day December 25, known as "Christmas Day"

(d) Parking Meter Rates. Rates for parking vehicles in a space regulated by a parking meter shall be as follows:

The City Manager or designee is directed to provide for the purchase, acquisition, installation, operation, maintenance, supervision, regulation and use of the parking meters provided for in this chapter, and to maintain such meters in good workable condition.

Parking meters, installed in the parking meter zones, shall be placed upon the curb near the regulated parking space. Each parking meter shall be placed or set in such manner as to show or display by a signal that the regulated parking space is or is not legally in use. Each parking meter installed shall indicate the legal parking time established by the City, and when operated, shall indicate the duration of the period of legal parking, and on expiration of such period shall indicate illegal or overparking.

The City Manager or designee shall have lines or markings painted or placed upon the curb and/or upon the street near each parking meter for the purpose of designating the parking space for which such meter is to be used and each vehicle parking in the area regulated by that parking meter shall park within the lines or markings so established. No person shall park any vehicle across any such line or marking or park such vehicle in such position that the same is not entirely within the area so designated by such lines or markings.

(a) When a vehicle is parked in any space regulated by a parking meter, the operator of such vehicle shall, upon entering such parking space, immediately deposit, or cause to be deposited, coinage in such parking meter, and put such meter into operation, and failure to deposit such coinage of the specified value, and put the meter into operation is unlawful. Upon the deposit of such coins and placing such meter in operation, the parking space may be lawfully occupied by such vehicle during the period of parking time which has been prescribed for the part of the street in which such parking space is located. If such vehicle remains parked in any such parking space beyond the parking time limit fixed for such parking space, the parking meter shall indicate such illegal parking and in that event, such vehicle shall be considered as parked overtime, and beyond the period of legal parking time, and the parking of a vehicle overtime or beyond the period of legal parking time in any such part of a street where any such meter is located is a violation of this chapter and punishable as hereinafter set out.

(b) Exception for Commercial Trucks. Commercial trucks may park in the parking zones to load or to unload merchandise, without depositing coins or tokens for a period not to exceed 30 minutes. Should any truck or delivery car be parked longer than 30 minutes, such violator will be given a ticket and classed as a violation, and the regular penalty imposed.

If a vehicle receives a second citation for violation of the parking regulations within the same calendar day, and the vehicle was not moved from the parking space between violations, the bail for the second citation shall be increased to that amount as is established upon the schedule of bail for violation of this section.

No person shall deface, injure, tamper with, open, or willfully break, destroy, or impair the usefulness of any parking meter installed under the provisions of this chapter.

No person shall deposit, or cause to be deposited, in any parking meter, any slugs, devices or metallic substances or any other substitute, for the coins, or specified tokens in lieu of the coins.No person shall deposit coins, tokens or metallic substances indiscriminately in such meter, without the intent, or right to park the motor vehicle which he or she is then operating, at the parking space regulated by such meter.

No person shall interfere with, or obstruct in any way, any police officer, traffic enforcement representative, or other officer or employee of this City in their enforcement of the provisions of this title. The removal, obliteration, erasure or concealment of any chalk mark or other distinguishing mark used by any police officer, traffic enforcement representative, or other officer or employee of this City in the performance of their duties to enforce the parking regulations of this title, if done for the purpose of evading the provisions of this title, shall constitute unlawful interference or obstruction of enforcement.

It shall be the duty of police officers of the City, acting in accordance with instructions issued by Chief of Police, to report:

(a) The number of each parking meter which indicates that the vehicle occupying the parking space regulated by such parking meter is, or has been, parking in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter;

(b) The State license number of such vehicle;

(c) The time during which such vehicle is parking in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter;

(d) Any other facts, a knowledge of which is necessary to a thorough understanding of the circumstances attending such violation.

Each such police officer shall also attach to such vehicle a notice to the owner or operator thereof that such vehicle has been parked in violation of a provision of this chapter.

(a) Authority. The City Manager or designee is authorized to issue permits which specify particular metered parking spaces for the temporary exclusive use of persons occupying property adjacent to the specified metered parking spaces. A separate permit is required for each space.

(b) Required Application Form Information. The application shall be made on a form provided by the City Manager or designee and shall include the following information:

(1) Name and address of applicant;

(2) Name and address of person occupying the premises adjacent to the parking space concerned;

(3) The number of the parking meter located at the parking space for which restricted parking is requested;

(4) A statement of the reasons for the need for such parking restriction;

(5) The estimated hours of the day during which such restriction may be necessary;

(6) Such other relevant information as the City Manager or designee may require; and

(7) Payment of application fee set forth in the Fee Schedule.

(c) Basis for Approval. The City Manager or designee may issue the permit if the application demonstrates that:

(1) There is a need to limit the parking in certain parking areas within the parking meter zone to parking for the purpose of construction, demolition, remodeling, repainting or refurbishing and maintenance of structures or grounds adjoining the meters;

(2) There is sufficient parking within the area around the spaces requested for exclusive use; and

(3) The neighbors or adjacent business will not be negatively impacted by the temporary exclusive use.

(d) Appeal of Temporary Permit Issuance. Any interested person may appeal the issuance of a temporary permit for exclusive use of meter parking spaces. The appeal must be filed within 10 days after the City Manager or designee's decision. If appeal is not filed within 10 days, applicant shall be barred for a period of six months from making further application with reference to the same matter. In taking such appeal, the appellant shall file an appeal in writing within such period of 10 days with the Public Works Commission secretary, who shall set the hearing for the next regular meeting of the Commission. At the appeal hearing, the Commission shall hear all evidence offered by applicant and the City Manager or designee, and may hear other evidence with reference thereto, and may continue such hearing from time to time. At the conclusion of such hearing, the Commission shall make its findings thereon, and if it has found that the action of the City Manager or designee in denying, approving or conditioning the permit was discriminatory against applicant, or if it finds that the granting of such permit with or without conditions, or otherwise will not be injurious to the public health, safety, or welfare, it shall overturn the action of the City Manager and issue the permit. Otherwise, it shall affirm the action of the City Manager or designee and deny the appeal. The decision of the Public Works Commission at such hearing shall be final, and conclusive, and applicant shall be barred for a period of six months after such decision from making further application with reference to the same matter.

(e) Signs and Notification.

(1) The City Manager or designee will issue and affix the temporary permit to the proper meter post throughout the permit period and shall remove it upon permit expiration or revocation.

(2) The City Manager or designee shall forward to the Police Department copies of each permit granted.

(f) Permit Fees. Prior to permit issuance, the person issued a temporary permit for exclusive use of meter parking spaces shall pay a fee in the amount set by resolution of the City Council.

(g) Not a Waiver. A permit allowing temporary exclusive use of metered parking spaces as set forth in this chapter shall not waive the necessity of obtaining any and all other encroachment and/or building permits, or any other permit or license specified as required under other provisions of this code.

(h) Parking Within Permitted Space. It is unlawful for any person to cause, allow, permit or suffer any vehicle operated or controlled by him or her to be parked in any parking space within a parking meter zone while a sign is properly in place on the post for such space indicating that a temporary permit for exclusive use is in effect. Any vehicle found to be improperly occupying any part of a posted parking space shall be cited and may be towed in accordance with Section 11.40.120 of this code.

(i) Revocation. The City Manager or designee may revoke the permit for any of the following reasons:

(1) Failure to pay the required fee;

(2) The City Manager or designee determines that the circumstances no longer require the existence of such permit; or

(3) The permit holder is found to be using the permit for purposes other than for which it was granted.

The City Manager or designee will administer the parking permit program. Permits will be issued by the City or designee and applicable rates established by City Council resolution. Permit parking is only allowed in designated areas in each parking facility or at designated on-street locations.