Santa Barbara County Municipal Code Art. I In General

Footnotes:

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Editor's note— Ord. No. 4895, adopted Sept. 2, 2014, repealed Art. I and enacted a new article as set out herein. The former Art. I, §§ 12A-1—12A-6, pertained to similar subject matter and derived from Ord. No. 1954, §§ 1—5.

The board of supervisors declares that these regulations relating to the use of county property by individuals, groups and organizations are necessary to promote the orderly use and preservation of public property and facilities for the safety and benefit of the general public. The county property referred to in this article includes all property owned or leased by the county, including but not limited to the Santa Barbara Historic Courthouse property, the County Administration Building properties in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, the Calle Real Campus property, outlying county departmental offices, road yards and sheriff facilities, and the Veterans Memorial Building properties in Santa Barbara and Lompoc. Notwithstanding this section, public use of county park property shall be governed by the provisions of Chapter 26 of this Code. Public use of all county property shall be subject to the provisions of this Chapter 12A, and shall be scheduled and coordinated through the county's department of general services except that all county property shall be open to the public during normal business hours for the purpose of conducting county business, subject to reasonable restrictions.

(Ord. No. 4895, 9-2-2014)

No person shall bring any animal or permit any animal to be brought onto or to be on the county-owned property identified in Section 12A-1 of this Code, except when the presence of such animals is necessary in connection with official business, or has been expressly authorized and permitted pursuant to the provisions of this article. This restriction shall not apply to animals which are confined in an automobile or some other fully enclosed structure, horses or "K-9" dogs used by law enforcement personnel, or to "Service Dogs" assisting individuals with disabilities. Dogs and other domesticated animals may be permitted on certain county property used for residential or treatment purposes, or otherwise where signs have been posted by the director of general services or their designee expressly permitting their presence.

(Ord. No. 4895, 9-2-2014)

No person, group or organization shall make use of any county property for meetings, conferences, rallies or other similar gatherings or purposes designed or likely to attract large numbers of people, without first obtaining a permit pursuant to this article. Such permit must be obtained through the county's department of general services, office of real estate services, at least two weeks prior to the anticipated date of the event. This section shall not require a permit for impromptu gatherings lasting ninety minutes or less: 1) outside along the west side of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse on Anacapa Street in the City of Santa Barbara; 2) outside on the property of the County Administration Building in the City of Santa Barbara; and 3) outside on the property of the County Administration Building in the City of Santa Maria; but the county retains its full authority to prevent gatherings that become unsafe or otherwise present a public nuisance. The county may impose reasonable conditions upon all such permits, including but not limited to the following:

(a) A deposit in a form approved by county or a bond from a recognized surety company to ensure clean-up and restoration of any county property affected. The amount of such deposit or bond shall be determined by the type of event and the number of persons anticipated.

(b) Proof of insurance coverage determined by the county's risk manager to be sufficient to protect the county from liability for personal injury and/or property damage. The type of policy and limits of coverage shall be subject to approval by the county's risk manager.

(c) A security program for the policing of the event, at applicant's cost, determined to be sufficient by the county sheriff or local police department, as applicable. Such program shall include, where applicable, vehicular and pedestrian traffic control, as well as protection for any county property or landscaping, and shall be submitted to the sheriff, or if the event will take place within an incorporated city, to that city's police department at least ten days prior to the event. This section does not impose any additional obligations on any law enforcement office to undertake public safety precautions beyond its normal scope of responsibilities.

(d) Control and regulation of noise and all sound amplifying devices.

(Ord. No. 4895, 9-2-2014)

Except as otherwise provided in this article, all permits shall be issued and conditions imposed by the county's general services department, office of real estate services, which may consult with other appropriate county and city agencies to determine reasonable conditions. All permits shall be in writing and shall contain a statement of all applicable conditions. Permits authorizing regularly scheduled meetings shall be valid until revoked.

(Ord. No. 4895, 9-2-2014)

At all times during the course of the event permitted under this article, a responsible person shall be present on the county property, with a copy of the original permit in his or her possession. The name and contact information for the person responsible for the event shall be provided prior to issuance of the permit.

(Ord. No. 4895, 9-2-2014)

Due to health and safety concerns, no person shall be permitted to remain overnight or to erect or maintain a structure, tent, camper or recreational vehicle for the purpose of remaining overnight on any county property unless pursuant to a valid lease from the county or by specific written permission or authorization from the board of supervisors. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any parks or other facilities where overnight camping is expressly permitted, nor shall it apply to firemen, law enforcement personnel, or other persons whose duties require that they stay overnight on county property.

(Ord. No. 4895, 9-2-2014)