Santa Maria Municipal Code Ch. 6-1 Offenses Against Public Peace

No person shall within the City, without authority of law, disturb, disquiet or interrupt:

(a) Any school or school procession;

(b) Any funeral or funeral procession.

(Prior code § 17-13)

(a) Purpose: Public streets and other public property within the City should be readily accessible to residents and the public at large. The use of these areas for camping purposes or storage of personal property interferes with the rights of others to use these areas for the purposes for which they were intended. The purpose of this section is to maintain public streets and other public property within the City in a clean and accessible condition, and to prevent the accumulation of trash and debris, for the benefit of the public at large. Another purpose of this ordinance is to promote the public health and welfare by requiring camping in the City limits to be conducted with the owner's permission and with approved sanitary facilities.

(b) Definitions: Unless the particular provisions or the context otherwise requires, the definitions contained in this section shall govern the construction, meaning and application of words and phrases used in this section.

"Camp"

means to erect, pitch, or occupy a camp facility; or to use camp paraphernalia, for living purposes in an outdoor area.

"Camp facility"

included, but is not limited to, tents, huts, or other temporary physical shelters.

"Camp paraphernalia"

includes, but is not limited to, tarpaulins, cots, beds, sleeping bags, hammocks or personal cooking facilities and similar equipment.

"Store"

means to put aside or accumulate for use when needed, to deposit for safekeeping, to place or leave in a location.

"Public property"

means any real estate in which the City owns a property interest.

"Recreational vehicle sanitary connection"

means a legally installed sewer connection, located outdoors, designed for and utilized by recreational vehicles only.

(c) Unlawful Camping.

It shall be unlawful to camp or occupy camp facilities at any time, whether inside or outside of a vehicle, in or on any:

(1) Public street, sidewalk, parking lot, bus shelter, park or other public property, except as otherwise provided by resolution of the City Council;

(2) Private property, including vacant lots, parking areas and commercial properties, unless the person camping in or on such private property:

(A) is the owners thereof or the lessee of such property or the houseguest of such owner or lessee, and the vehicle is hooked up to recreation vehicle sanitary connection facilities approved by the building official of the City of Santa Maria on such property; or

(B) has the written permission of the owner of such property, his agent, or the person in lawful possession of such property, and the vehicle is hooked up to recreational vehicle sanitary connection facilities approved by the building official of the City of Santa Maria on such property.

(d) Storage of personal property in or on public property. It shall be unlawful to store personal property, including camp facilities and camp paraphernalia, on any public property, except as otherwise provided by resolution of the City Council. Unlawfully stored or unclaimed personal property in or on any public property shall be deemed abandoned property. Peace Officers may impound abandoned property and turn it in at the local law enforcement station where it will be handled pursuant to Title 3, Chapter 10 of the Santa Maria Municipal Code.

(e) Misdemeanor. Any violation of this section is a misdemeanor.

(f) Exceptions. This section shall not prohibit camping in areas designated for such purposes by the City Council. Designation shall occur through land-use review pursuant to Title 12 and other applicable regulations for private property. Designation shall occur by City Council resolution and appropriate signage for public property.

(Ord. 2000-12, eff. 9/14/01; Ord. 2009-03, eff. 3/5/09; Ord. 2019-09, eff. 12/19/19)

It is unlawful for any person who is not a student of the school or an officer or employee of the public elementary or public secondary schools of the City to fail to comply with the public school regulations requiring the person to report his presence on the school premises, and the reason therefor, to the principal of the school or to a person designated by the principal to receive such report, within a reasonable time after being present on the school premises. This section shall apply only in the event the person is given notice of the school regulations requiring him to report his presence on school premises and the reasons therefor to the principal or to a person designated by the principal to receive such reports.

(Prior code § 17-30)

It is unlawful for any person who is not a student of the school or an officer or employee of the public elementary or public secondary schools of the City to fail to comply with the public school regulations requiring the person to leave a school building or school grounds promptly upon request of the principal of the school or the designee of the principal or who, after leaving a school building or school grounds pursuant to the request of the principal of the school or the designee of the principal, fails to comply with the public school regulations requiring him to remain off the school premises for 48 hours. This section shall apply only in the event the person is given notice of school regulations requiring him to leave school premises upon request of the school principal or the designee of the principal and requiring him to remain off the school premises for 48 hours.

(Prior code § 17-31)

(a) Any police canine, and its handler, in the performance of official law enforcement duties, has the right to enter and be present in any place, public or private, where a Police Officer has a right to be in the performance of official law enforcement duties.

(b) It is unlawful for any person to willfully torture, tease, torment, beat, interfere with, kick, strike, mutilate, injure, disable or kill any police canine used by any police agency in the performance of its functions and duties.

(c) Police canines are not subject to the provisions of Article 2 of Chapter 3 of this code while engaged in the performance of official law enforcement duties.

(Ord. 84-1084 § 1, eff. 10/18/84)