Ventura Municipal Code § 16.225.010 Generally

5 Editor’s note(s): Section 8 of Ord. No. 2009-002, adopted January 12, 2009, repealed and reenacted Chapter 16.225 to read as herein set out. Former Chapter 16.225 pertained to parking meter zones, consisted of Sections 16.225.010 through 16.225.050 and derived from the 1971 Code.

A. Parking meter zones are those streets or portions of streets established by ordinance of the city council pursuant to California Vehicle Code Section 22508 as zones within which the parking of vehicles may be controlled, regulated, and inspected with the aid of parking meters.

B. The term “parking meter” means any device (including related software) which records paid parking time, whether single-space or multi-space, parking pay station, or mobile payment application, which may accept payment by any means authorized by and acceptable to the city. Parking meters may require vehicle operators to display a receipt or enter vehicle identification information to permit parking adjacent to or in the immediate vicinity of the parking meter.

C. The public works director, or designee, shall cause parking meters to be installed and maintained in all parking meter zones. The maximum rate shall be set by ordinance of the city council. During a fiscal year, the public works director, or designee, may adjust parking meter rates up or down no greater than $1.00 per hour in $0.25 increments based on average occupancy rates in order to achieve a target occupancy rate of 85 percent. Any change in parking meter rates up or down that is greater than $1.00 per hour in a fiscal year shall require city council approval. (Ord. No. 2009-002, § 8, 1-12-09; Ord. No. 2026-007, § 2, 4-28-26)

A. Parking meters shall be installed upon the curb or sidewalk area generally adjacent to or in the immediate vicinity of the parking spaces controlled by such parking meter.

B. Where applicable, parking meters shall feature signage that displays how to access the city’s mobile parking application and the area’s associated parking zone number to facilitate parking session payments. (Ord. No. 2009-002, § 8, 1-12-09; Ord. No. 2026-007, § 2, 4-28-26)

A. Time of Operation. The provisions of this chapter relating to the operation of parking meters shall be effective for posted hours and days as determined by the public works director, or designee.

B. Operational Procedure to Be Followed. Immediately after occupancy of a paid parking space, the operator of a vehicle shall deposit coin(s) of the United States, use a credit card or other acceptable form of payment in said parking meter, or make use of the city’s mobile parking application. The operator shall follow operational procedures in accordance with the instructions posted on the parking meter.

C. Unlawful to Park After Parking Meter Time Has Expired. No operator of any vehicle shall permit said vehicle to remain parked in any parking space without proper payment of the metered rate, or after the time period that has been paid for expires.

D. Unlawful to Extend Time Beyond Limit. No person shall allow a vehicle to be parked for a period beyond the maximum legal parking time limit that has been established for the parking space.

E. Improper Use of Parking Meter. No person shall deposit, attempt to deposit, or cause to be deposited in any parking meter any defaced or bent coin, or any slug, device or metallic substitute for a coin of the United States, or deface, injure, tamper with, open or willfully break, destroy or attempt in any manner to impair the usefulness of any parking meter.

F. Deposit of Payment in Parking Meter by Unauthorized Person. No person, other than the owner or operator of a vehicle, shall deposit any acceptable form of payment in any parking meter without the knowledge or consent of said owner or operator of the vehicle using the parking space controlled by said parking meter.

G. Parking Meter Not to Be Used for Certain Purposes. No person shall attach anything to or allow a bicycle, news rack or any other article or thing to lean against a parking meter.

H. Special Reservation of Parking Meter Spaces. The public works director, or designee, is authorized to issue special permits to reserve parking meter spaces. A parking meter space may be reserved for special events or it may be reserved for activities related to construction or maintenance, thereby allowing parking of commercial vehicles for the performance of work. A daily fee will be charged to the permittee. (Ord. No. 2009-002, § 8, 1-12-09; Ord. No. 2026-007, § 2, 4-28-26)

The downtown parking district has been established as a parking meter zone, with boundaries as set forth in Chapter 4.400, fees as set forth in Section 16.225.010, and hours and days as set forth in Section 16.225.030. (Ord. No. 2026-007, § 2, 4-28-26)

The parking or standing of any motor vehicle in a parking space, at which space the parking meter displays the sign or signal indicating illegal parking, shall constitute a prima facie presumption that the vehicle has been parked or allowed to stand in such space for a period longer than permitted by this chapter. (Ord. No. 2009-002, § 8, 1-12-09; Ord. No. 2026-007, § 2, 4-28-26. Formerly 16.225.040)

All moneys collected from parking meters in this city shall be placed in a special fund, which fund shall be devoted exclusively to purposes within the geographic boundaries of the parking district from which the revenue is collected. Such moneys shall be used for the purposes stated in the parking district establishment ordinance. (Ord. No. 2009-002, § 8, 1-12-09; Ord. No. 2026-007, § 2, 4-28-26. Formerly 16.225.050)

No section of this chapter shall be construed as permitting any parking in violation of any other provision of this chapter. (Ord. No. 2009-002, § 8, 1-12-09; Ord. No. 2026-007, § 2, 4-28-26. Formerly 16.225.060)