Ordinance No. 6,908Published In: THE BAYTOWN SUN 940127 -1
Thursday, February 3, 1994
Friday, Feb. 4, 1994 ORDINANCE NO. 6908
• AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 18 "MOTOR VEHICLES AND
TRAFFIC," ARTICLE VI, "STOPPING, STANDING AND PARKING,"
OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, CITY OF BAYTOWN, TEXAS, BY
ADDING SECTION 18 -55 "PROHIBITED PARKING IN A PUBLIC
SAFETY ZONE," SECTION 18 -56 REQUIREMENTS FOR DESIGNATION
OF FIRE LANES," AND SECTION 18 -57 "REMOVAL UNAUTHORIZED
VEHICLES PARKED IN FIRE LANES "; PROVIDING A REPEALING
CLAUSE; CONTAINING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; PRESCRIBING A
MAXIMUM PENALTY OF FIVE HUNDRED AND N01100 DOLLARS
($500.00); AND PROVIDING FOR THE PUBLICATION AND
EFFECTIVE DATE THEREOF.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAYTOWN,
TEXAS:
Section 1: That Chapter 18 "Motor Vehicles and Traffic,"
Article VI, " Stopping, Standing and Parking," of the Code of
Ordinances, City of Baytown, Texas, is hereby amended by adding
Section 18 -55 "Prohibited parking in a public safety zone" to read
as follows:
Sec. 18 -55 Prohibited parking in a public safety zone.
(a) A person commits an offense if he stops, stands, or parks
a vehicle, other than an authorized emergency vehicle, in
a public safety zone.
(b) Any person who commits an offense as defined in
subsection (a) of this Section shall be deemed guilty of
a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a
fine of not less than Fifty and No /100 Dollars ($50.00)
nor more than Five Hundred and No /100 Dollars ($500.00)
except minors who have passed their 14th birthday but
have not reached their 17th birthday shall be punished by
a fine of not less than Fifty and No /100 Dollars ($50.00)
nor more than One Hundred and No /100 Dollars ($100.00).
Section 2: That Chapter 18 "Motor Vehicles and Traffic,"
Article VI, " Stopping, Standing and Parking," of the Code of
Ordinances, City of Baytown, Texas, is hereby amended by adding
Section 18 -56 "Requirements for Designation of Fire Lanes," to read
as follows:
Section 18 -56 Requirements for designation of fire lanes.
(a) Each fire lane shall be continuously marked on both sides
of such lane with red paint, either on the curb or, where
the curbs are not present, with a continuous line not
less than 4" wide. On the red painted surfaces, the
wording "FIRE LANE -- NO PARKING" in 3" high white
• letters shall be conspicuously and legibly marked and
applied at each end and at least every twenty -five (25)
feet.
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• (b) In addition, fire lane signs approved by the Fire Chief
or his designee shall be installed no lower than six (b)
feet nor higher than seven (7) feet above ground as
measured from the bottom of the sign. A fire lane sign
shall be installed at each end of the fire lane with
arrows pointing towards each other. An additional sign
with the arrows pointing both directions, shall be
installed every one hundred (100) feet along the fire
lane if such lane is longer than one hundred (100) feet.
There shall not be less than two (2) signs in each
continuous fire lane. Further, approved fire lane signs
shall be placed at the end of each parking row that is
within twenty -five (25) feet and on the opposite side of
a drive that is a fire lane.
•
(c) The owner of a premises may apply to the Fire Chief for
a permit establishing a fire lane at the owner's
premises. The Fire Chief shall establish procedures and
standards, which shall be in conformity with this
chapter, allowing the establishment of fire lanes on the
premises by the owners thereof.
Section 3: That Chapter 18 "Motor Vehicles and Traffic,"
Article VI, " Stopping, Standing and Parking," of the Code of
Ordinances, City of Baytown, Texas, is hereby amended by adding
Section 18 -57 "Removal of unauthorized vehicles parked in fire
lanes," to read as follows:
Sec. 18 -57 Removal of unauthorized vehicles parked in
fire lanes.
(a) The owner of premises at or upon which the City of
Baytown requires or permits the designation and
maintenance of a fire lane, the agent of the owner, or a
peace officer of the City of Baytown may have any vehicle
that is parked in a fire lane, except an authorized
emergency vehicle, removed and stored at the expense of
the owner or operator of the vehicle, if such fire lane
is conspicuously designated as required by the City of
Baytown.
(b) The owner of the premises, his agent, the peace
officer(s), or the City of Baytown who has a vehicle
removed and stored as provided in Subsection (a) is not
liable for damages incurred by the owner or operator of
the vehicle as a result of removal or storage if the
vehicle is removed by a vehicle wrecker service insured
against liability for property damage incurred in towing
vehicles and is stored by a storage company insured
against liability for property damage incurred in the
storage of vehicles.
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(c) The owner of a vehicle that is removed or stored under
this section is liable for all reasonable towing and
storage fees incurred in the removal and /or storage.
Section 4: All ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent
with the terms of this ordinance are hereby repealed; provided
however, that such repeal shall be only to the extent of such
inconsistency and in all other respects this ordinance shall be
cumulative of other ordinances regulating and governing the subject
matter covered by this ordinance.
Section 5: If any provision, section, exception, subsection
paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance or the
application of the same to any person or set of circumstances,
shall for any reason be held unconstitutional, void or invalid,
such invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remaining
provisions of this ordinance or their application to other persons
or sets of circumstances and to this end all provisions of this
ordinance are declared to be severable.
Section 6: This ordinance shall take effect from an after ten
(10) days from its passage by the City Council. The City Clerk is
hereby directed to give notice hereof by causing the caption of
this ordinance to be published in the official newspaper of the
City of Baytown at least twice within ten (10) days after passage
of this ordinance.
INTRODUCED, READ AND PASSED by the affirmative vote of the
City Council of the City of Baytown this the 27th day of January,
1994.
ATTEST:
EILEEN P. , C ty Clerk
ACIO RAMIREZ, SR U, City Attorney
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PETE C. AL ARO, Mayor