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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance No. 420 CITY OF THE COLONY, TEXAS ORDINANCE NO. q-~ O An Ordinance Of The City Of The Colony, Texas, Ainending Chapter 19 Of The Code Of Ordinances Of The City Of The Colony, Texas Relating To Traffic Regulations By ~,mending Section 19-1 To Provide A Definition For The Following: Handicapped Markers, Handicapped Vehicle, Disabled And Disabled Person And Parking Space Designated Specifically For The Disabled; And By Amending Chapter 19 By Providing Rules And Regnlations Relating To Disabled Parking Within The City of The Colony Texas; Providing A Penalty Not To Exceed The Sum Of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) For Each Offense And A Separate Offense Shall Be Deemed Committed Each Day During Or On Which A Violation Occurs; Providing A Severability Clause; Declaring An Emergency And Providing An Effective Date. BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of The City of The Colony, Texas: Section 1. That Chapter 19 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of The Colony, Texas (the "City") relating to traffic regulations is amended in the following particulars and all other sections, subsections, paragraphs, sentences, definitions, phrases and words of said Code of Ordinances are not amended but shall remain intact and are hereby ratified, verified, approved and affirmed. A. That Section 19-1 of Chapter 19 relating to definitions is hereby amended by adding the following definitions: "Disabled" and "Disabled Person" shall mean a natural person who has mobility problems that substantially impair said person's ability to ambulate, or a person who is legally blind. In this ordinance, "legally blind" means having not more than 20/200 of visual acuity in the better eye with correcting lenses, or visual acuity greater than 20/200 but with a limitation in the field of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual subtends an angle no greater than twenty (20) degrees. "Handicapped marker" shall mean a specially designed symbol, tab, disabled person identification card or other device obtained from a County Tax Collectar pursuant to Article 6675a-5e.1 of the Revised Civil Statutes of Texas for the purpose of marking a vehicle as one which is being operated by or for the transportation of a disabled person. "Handicapped vehicle" shall mean motorcycles with side cars that have been specially modified by the manufacturer to be operated by disabled persons and light commercial vehicles having a manufacturer's rated capacity of one (1) ton or less operated by or for the transportation of permanently disabled persons for noncommercial use and properly displaying a handicapped marker on the license plate or the disabled person identification card in'the lower left-hand side of the front windshield. "Parking space designated specifically for the disabled" shall mean any parking space which has markings or sig~age which §ives reasonable notice that the parking space is reserved or meant for the use of vehicles transporting permanently or temporarily disabled persons, or handicapped persons, regardless of whether the means of designating said parking space comply witb this ordinance or state law. B. That Chapter 19 is hereby amended by adding Sections 19-25 through 19-27 inclusive, which shall read as follows: "Sec. 19-25. Designation of Parking Spaces. The City Engineer, private property o~mers and persous who own or control property used for parking are hereby authorized to designate our (1) or more parking spaces, parking area or parking areas for the exclusive use of handicapped vehicles. The number of parking spaces is to be determined by the following formula: Humber of Parking Spaces Suggested to be Designated For Vehicles Transporting On-site Parking Spaces Disabled Persons 1-50 1 51-100 2 101-150 3 151-200 4 "Sec. 19-26. ldentificaton and Dimension Requirements. a) Eanh parking space shall be at least fourteen (14) feet wide and twenty-one (21) feet long. Each parking space shall have an aboveground sign designating the space for vehicles transporting disabled persons only, which designation shall consist of a sign permanently mounted on a sign post adjacent to said parking space or the sign may be attached to the wall immediately in front of the parking space or spaces so designated if said wall is within three (3) feet of the front line of the disabled parking space or spaces, and upon each of said signs shall be displayed the international symbol of acenss (a profile view of a wheelchair with occupant) with the following message printed thereon: "Penalty -- City Ordinance No. __" The face of said posted sign shall be no less than one and one-half (1 1/2) feet high by one (1) foot wide. The bottom edge of the posted sign shall not be closer than three (3) feet to the sidewalk, asphalt or pavement in which the post or wall is anchored and not higher than five (5) feet from said sidewalk, asphalt or pavement. b) all requirements of Art. 6675 a-Se.1 Tex. Rev. Civ. Stat. Ann. are to be complied with by the parties posting such signs relative to the designation of parking spaces for the disabled and the posting of same. OOqSX "See. 19-27. Unlawfnl parking in space designated specifically for the disabled. (a) A person commits an offense if the person is neither temporarily or permanently disabled nor transporting a temporarily or permanently disabled person and parks a vehicle with such special device or displaying a temporarily disabled person identificatian card in any parking space or parking area designated specifically for the disabled. (b) A person commits an offense if the person parks a vehicle neither displaying the handicapped marker nor displaying a temporarily disabled person identification card in a parking space or parking area designated specifically for the disabled. (c) A person commits an offense if the person parks a vehicle so that the vehicle blocks an access or curb ramp or any other architectural improvement designed to aid the disabled. Section 2. Penalty. Any person violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be subject to a fine in a sum not to exceed Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) for each offense and a separate offense shall be deemed committed upon each day during or on which a violation occurs. Section 3. Severability. If any section, article, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase or word in this ordinance, or application thereto any person or circumstances is held invalid or unconstitutional by a Court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance; and the City Council hereby declares it would have passed such remaining partions of the ordinance despite such invalidity, which remaining portions shall remain in full force and effect. Section 4. Emergenc.y and Effective Date. The fact that the present ordinances and regulations of the City of The Colony, Texas, are inadequate to properly safeguard the health, safety, morals, peace, and general welfare of the inhabitants of the City of The Colony, Texas, creates an emergency for the immediate preservation of the public business, property, health, safety, and general welfare of the public which requires that this ordinance become effective from and after the date of its passage and it is accordingly so ordained. Section 5. Repeal of Inconsistent Ordinances. All ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent or in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby expressly repealed to the extent of the inconsistency or conflict. O078X --3-- PASSED AND APPROVED on the ~ day of 1986. t~ ~7 ' /M~yor, CTty-6~The C~o[ony, Texas / ATTE_~~ City S~eretary, Cit~/of The Colony, Texas [SEAL] APPROVED AS TO FORM: City Attorney, City of The Colony Texas