Sec. 18-56. - Findings and purpose.

(a)

The sheriff's department is frequently forced to remove vehicles from a highway, or from public or private property and place them in storage.

(b)

The impounding of motor vehicles by the sheriff's department generates substantial administrative costs relating to the proper removal, impound, storage and release of the vehicles.

(c)

The costs related to such vehicle impounding should properly be borne by the registered owners of such vehicles except in cases where it can be established that the vehicles were stolen at the time of impounding.

(d)

The board of supervisors, in adopting a fee to recoup the administrative costs of releasing such impounded vehicles, is directed by the legislature to establish procedures for the release of such vehicles pursuant to vehicle code section 22850.5.

(e)

The provisions set forth in this article establish the procedures for the release of properly impounded vehicles to facilitate the imposition of a charge equal to the county of Sonoma's administrative costs relating to the removal, impound, storage and release of impounded vehicles.

(f)

The fee for release of an impounded or stored vehicle is established by separate ordinance and may from time to time be modified pursuant to successive ordinances issued by the board of supervisors subsequent to a public fee hearing as administrative costs change.

(Ord. No. 5036 § 1, 1997.)