Vernon Municipal Code Ch. 9.32 Offenses

A. It is unlawful for any person to throw, cast or distribute, or cause to be thrown, cast or distributed, any handbills, circulars, cards or other commercial advertising matter whatsoever in or upon any street, alley or other public place, or in automobiles or trucks parked along any street or alley, or in the yards or courtyards of any factory, dwelling or office building, or upon any porch, stoop or in the vestibule or hall of any building; provided that nothing contained in this section shall be deemed to in any manner whatsoever attempt to regulate the delivery of such commercial advertising matter by postal service.

B. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit or otherwise regulate the distribution of any regularly established newspaper, magazine or other periodical or circular from being distributed in the City other than the distribution of commercial advertising matter.

(Prior code § 17.1)

The locating of a cigarette vending machine in a public place in the City is hereby expressly prohibited, except that a cigarette vending machine may be located in a public place in the City if at all times where so located the vending machine is under the supervision of an adult person, who is vested with authority to and prevents the use of the cigarette vending machine by persons under the age of 18 years.

(Prior code § 17.2)

It is unlawful for any person to make to or file with the Police Department any false, misleading or unfounded statement or report concerning the commission or alleged commission of any crime occurring within the City.

(Prior code § 17.3)

It is unlawful to follow or practice the calling, vocation or avocation of palmists, fortunetellers, clairvoyants, mental telepathists, astrologists or any other calling, vocation or avocation by which such person claims or purports to tell the past act or history of another or who claims or purports to foretell or prophesy any future act or life of another person and for such services rendered receives a consideration of any kind.

(Prior code § 17.7-1)

A. Definitions. For the purpose of this section certain words and terms are defined and shall be construed as herein set forth unless otherwise expressly stated or the context clearly indicates a different intention:

"Anything of value"

means money, coin, currency, check, chip, allowance, token, credit, merchandise, property, article or anything representative of value.

"Gambling"

means conducting, maintaining or playing any game not mentioned in Section 330 or 330a of the Penal Code of the State for anything of value.

B. Prohibited. It is unlawful to engage in gambling in the City.

(Prior code §§ 17.8, 17.9)

A. Amusement, Tickets.

1. It is unlawful for any person to sell or offer for sale tickets for admission to any concert, exhibition or contest upon any public street within the City.

2. It is unlawful for any person conducting any amusement or exhibition within the City to engage in the sale of tickets for admittance to such contest, exhibition or amusement at any place other than the regularly established place of business as designated upon the license issued to the owner of the amusement or exhibition, or to allow any other person to sell such tickets for admission upon any public street in the City.

B. Merchandise, Newspapers.

1. No person shall sell or offer for sale any goods, wares, merchandise, newspapers, magazines, periodicals or other printed matter while upon that portion of any public street within the City between the curbs thereof, except in or upon any traffic island or safety zone therein; provided, however, that persons engaged in selling or offering for sale or disposing of goods, wares, merchandise, newspapers, magazines, periodicals or any such printed matter may sell, offer for sale, cry, call attention to, hawk, advertise and proclaim the same upon any sidewalk.

2. No person, under the age of 12 years, shall sell or offer for sale any goods, wares, merchandise, newspapers, magazines, periodicals or other printed matter while upon any portion of a public street in the City, which term includes sidewalks, traffic islands and safety zones. This section shall not prohibit persons, except as otherwise prohibited by State law, from soliciting the sale of or delivery of newspapers, magazines, periodicals and other printed matter to residences or places of business fronting upon a public street.

(Prior code §§ 17.11, 17.12)

A. Posting Authorized—Description of Signs. Any person, governmental agency, department or instrumentality having possession or control of any of the facilities, plants or utility properties enumerated in this section may post, at each entrance to any structure devoted to any use so enumerated, at each entrance to any fenced or enclosed area devoted to any such use, and at intervals of not more than 300 feet around any area devoted to such use, substantial signs not less than one square foot in area, displaying prominently in addition to such other information as may be deemed desirable the words, "TRESPASSING-LOITERING-FORBIDDEN BY LAW" in legible letters not less than two inches in height; provided, however, that any public waiting room, dining room, office or other portion of such structure or premises to which general public access is required in the normal use and operation thereof, or where materials are delivered to or received by the public, shall not be so posted.

B. Posted Boundary Defined. The "posted boundary" of any area shall be a line running from sign to sign, and such line need not conform to the legal boundary or legal description of any lot, parcel or acreage of land.

C. Where Posting Is Permitted. The places which may be so posted are the following:

1. Every airport, and every plant, field and structure used for the manufacture, assembling or testing of aircraft;

2. Every plant, field or structure used for the manufacturing of parts, machinery or equipment used in the manufacturing, assembling or testing of aircraft;

3. Every tank farm, refinery, compressor plant or absorption plant, marine terminal, pipe line pumping station and reservoir used for the bulk handling or bulk storage of petroleum or petroleum products;

4. Every reservoir, dam, pumping station, aqueduct, main canal or pipe line of a public water system;

5. Every reservoir, dam, generating plant, receiving station, distributing station and transmission line of a company or agency furnishing electrical energy;

6. Every gas generating plant, compressor plant, gas holder, gas tank and gas main used for the production, storage and distribution of gas;

7. Every plant, or vital part thereof, or other principal property essential to rendering telephone or telegraph service;

8. Every radio broadcasting central plant or station;

9. Every railroad bridge;

10. Every plant, field and structure used for the manufacturing, assembling or testing of any guns, shells or other equipment used by the United States Army or Navy;

11. Every plant, field and structure used for the manufacturing, assembling or testing of any equipment vital to the national defense of the United States of America;

12. Every plant for the bulk storage of dynamite, gun powder or other explosives;

13. Every plant for the bulk storage of guns, shells or other equipment of the United States Army or Navy.

D. Trespass within Posted Boundary Unlawful. When any premises is posted as provided in this section, it is unlawful for any person to go upon or to remain upon any place within the posted boundary of any such premises, or to enter or to remain in any such posted structure, without having upon his or her person the express written consent of the person, department or agency lawfully in possession or control thereof.

E. Loitering with Tools Unlawful. It is unlawful for any person to loiter in the immediate vicinity of any premises posted as provided in this section while having in his or her possession any explosive, tool or device of whatsoever character capable of doing harm or damage to any structure, machinery, equipment or other property of a similar or dissimilar character, installed or located upon such posted premises or area.

F. Damaging Signs. Every person who tears down, defaces or destroys, or causes to be torn down, defaced or destroyed, any sign placed or posted under the provisions of this section, without the consent of the person, governmental agency, department or instrumentality having possession or control of the premises on which such sign has been erected, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

G. Exemptions. This section does not apply to any entry in the course of duty of any peace officer, or any officer of the State or Federal government, or any firemen regularly employed by the City, nor to any person traversing an established and existing public sidewalk, street or highway.

H. Trespass on City Property—When Prohibited. No person shall willfully enter or remain upon any property owned or controlled by the City after having been ordered not to enter such property or having been ordered to leave same, either by posting as described in this section or upon order of authorized City personnel, when said City property or any section or part thereof has been declared closed by order of the City Council or by the head of any department of the City, at any time or for any interval of time, whether temporary or at stated intervals (days or otherwise), and whether entirely or merely as to certain uses, as said City Council or the head of any City department, shall find reasonably necessary for the conduct of City business and affairs, for the protection or preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or to avoid personal injury or property damage. Each violation of this section is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and a misdemeanor, punishable as set forth in this Code.

(Prior code § 17.14)

A. Camping is prohibited in or on any public or private property located in the City.

B. As used in this section, the following words and phrases have the meanings set forth in this subsection:

1. "Camping" means to place, pitch or occupy camp facilities; to live temporarily in a camp facility or outdoors; or to engage in any of the following activities inside or near one's camp facilities or outdoors:

a. Cooking on a stove; or

b. Bathing; or

c. Urinating or defecating.

2. "Camp facilities" include, but are not limited to, tents, huts, vehicles, recreational vehicles, or temporary shelters.

3. "Recreational vehicle" means any of the following:

a. Travel trailer, which means a vehicular portable structure built on a chassis designed to be used as a temporary dwelling for camping, travel, recreational, and vacation uses, and permanently identified as a travel trailer by the manufacturer;

b. Camper, which means a structure designed primarily to be mounted upon a motor vehicle and with sufficient facilities to render as suitable for use as a temporary dwelling for camping, travel, recreational and vacation purposes;

c. Motorized home, which means a portable, self-contained dwelling designed and constructed as an integral part of a self-propelled vehicle; and

d. Full tent trailer, which means a canvas folding structure mounted on wheels and designed for camping, travel, recreational, and vacation use.

C. Storage of camping facilities and paraphernalia used for camping, including, but not limited to, buckets, pots, pans, cutlery, portable ranges, bedding, pillows, sheets, blankets, sleeping bags, tarps, and backpacks is prohibited in or on any street and any public parking lot or public area, improved or unimproved.

D. The provisions of this section do not apply to:

1. Portable units which:

a. Have been acknowledged in writing by the owner or user to be units that are to be used temporarily and solely in connection with a construction project on the same lot by persons who have a separate existing, permanent residence, and

b. Have received written approval from the Director of Public Works, or designee, for such temporary usage, and

c. Are not used for cooking on a stove, bathing, or sleeping; or

2. Recreational vehicles which are parked on a public street when the occupants of the recreational vehicle are guests of the owners or occupants of an adjacent residential property, and:

a. The recreational vehicle is legally parked directly adjacent to the residential property where the occupants are guests,

b. The overnight camping in the recreational vehicle at that location does not extend for a period of more than seven consecutive days,

c. The recreational vehicle is self-contained and does not require hook-ups to the adjacent residential property;

3. Each violation of this section is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and a misdemeanor, punishable as set forth in this Code.

(Prior code § 17.16)

A. Upon Streets, Sidewalks or Crosswalks.

1. No person shall stand or sit in or upon any street, sidewalk or crosswalk in any manner so as to hinder or obstruct the free passage of pedestrians thereon, or to annoy or molest such pedestrians, within the City.

2. Each violation of this section is hereby declared to be a public nuisance.

B. To Any Public Place, Place of Business or Entrance or Exit.

1. No person shall block, impede or obstruct any public place or any entrance, exit or approach to any place of business in or upon any public place in a manner calculated or with the intent to prevent, delay, hinder or interfere with the free passage therealong or therewith of any person who is entering, occupying or leaving any place of business, who is performing any services or labor, or who is seeking or obtaining employment, or who is purchasing, selling, using, delivering, transporting or receiving any goods, wares, merchandise, services, entertainment, accommodations or articles, or who is attempting or seeking to do any of the foregoing, or to prevent, delay, hinder or interfere with the free passage therealong or there through of any vehicle or conveyance operated by or in the custody of any such other person or in which any such other person is riding or attempting to ride, within the City.

2. Each violation of this section is hereby declared to be a public nuisance.

(Prior code §§ 16.33, 16.34)