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HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD-04-93 Repeal Ch. 8.37 and Add Ch 8.37 GraffitiORDINANCE NO. 4- 93 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ORANGE REPEALING AND DELETING CHAPTER 8.37 OF THE ORANGE MUNICIPAL CODE AND ADDING CHAPTER 8.37 RELATING TO GRAFFITI.The City Council of the City of Orange does ordain as follows:Section I:Chapter 8.37 of the Orange Municipal Code is hereby repealed.Section II:Chapter 8.37 is hereby added to the Orange Municipal Code to read as follows:Section 8.37.010 PURPOSE AND FINDINGS The purpose and intent of this section is to provide the additional enforcement tools necessary to assist in the protection of public and private property from acts of defacement and vandalism caused by graffiti in order to reduce the blight and deterioration of property values in the City of Orange.The City finds and determines as follows:1. Graffiti on structures located upon public and private property is a blighting factor which depreciates the value of the property and also devalues the adjacent and surrounding properties in the community; and 2. It is the City's intent to prohibit the placement of graffiti on structures located on both public and private property; and 3. Government Code Section 53069.3 provides that a city may enact an ordinance authorizing the use of city funds to remove graffiti or other inscribed material from public or privately owned permanent structures if the city finds the graffiti or other inscribed material is obnoxious; 4. The City Council hereby finds that graffiti or related inscribed materials are obnoxious as herein discussed and authorizes the establishment of a program to allow the use of City funds to remove graffiti from structures on public and private property. 5. Government Code Section 53069.5 provides that a city may offer and pay a reward for information leading to the determination of the identity of, and the apprehension of, any person who willfully damages or destroys any property. Section 8.37.020 DEFINITIONS AEROSOL PAINT CONTAINER means any aerosol container regardless of the material from which it is made, which is adapted or made for the purpose of spraying paint or other substances capable of defacing property. ETCHING TOOL OR SCRIBE means any sharp or pointed instrument that is comprised of hardened steel, carbide or stainless steel which is capable of etching or marking glass, plastic, wood, metal or concrete surfaces. This definition includes, but is not limited to, picks, scribes, awls, markers and etchers. FELT TIP MARKER means any indelible marker or similar implement with a tip which at its broadest width is greater than one-eighth (1/8th) inch, containing an ink which is not water soluble.GRAFFITI means the unauthorized etching, inscribing,spraying of paint, or marking symbols using paint, spray paint, ink, chalk, dye, etching tools or similar materials on public or private structures, buildings or places.GRAFFITI IMPLEMENT means any implement capable of marking a surface to create graffiti including, but not limited to, aerosol paint containers, paint sticks, felt-tip markers or marking pens, marking instruments, drill bits,grinding stones, scribers, glass cutters, or etching tools,or other implements capable of scarring glass, plastic,wood, metal or concrete.OBNOXIOUS GRAFFITI means graffiti which has any of the following characteristics:ORDNO. 4. 1. Insults or incites hatred or contempt of any person or group on the basis of ethnic origin, gender, race, or religious affiliation; 2. Refers to the name of a gang or includes words or symbols associated with a gang or individual gang member. 3. Refers to the name or identity of an individual tagger or members of a tagging group or organization. 4. Insults or threatens any identifiable individual or group. 5. Includes obscene or indecent language or depictions. 6. Promotes criminal activity or promotes retaliatory action by an individua1(s). 7. Tends to attract more graffiti. 8. Constitutes an aesthetic blight or eyesore to a neighborhood. PAINT STICK OR GRAFFITI STICK means any device containing a solid form of paint, chalk, wax, epoxy, or other similar substance capable of being applied to a surface by pressure, and upon application, leaving a mark at least one-eighth (1/8th) inch in width, visible from a distance of 20 feet and not water soluble.SPRAY ACTUATOR (also known as a spray tip, nozzle or button) means an object which is capable of being attached to an aerosol paint container for the purpose of spraying the substance contained therein.Section 8.37.030 GRAFFITI PROHIBITION It is unlawful for any person to paint, chalk, etch, or otherwise apply graffiti on public or privately owned buildings, permanent structures, or places located on public or privately owned property within the City.Section 8.37.040 POSSESSION OF GRAFFITI IMPLEMENTS PROHIBITED ORDNO.4. 93 It shall be unlawful, and a misdemeanor, for any person to possess any graffiti implement, as defined in Section 8.37.020 of this Chapter, for the purpose of defacing, marking or damaging any public or private property, without the express consent of the owner of such property or the owner's representative; provided, however, that nothing in this Section shall be construed to permit or prohibit conduct which is prohibited by Penal Code Section 594.1. Section 8.37.050 POSSESSION OF SPRAY ACTUATOR PROHIBITED It shall be unlawful, and a misdemeanor, for any person to possess any spray actuator, as defined in Section 8.37.020 of this Chapter, for the purpose of defacing, marking or damaging any public or private property, without the express consent of the owner of such property or the owner's representative. Section 8.37.060 STORAGE OR DISPLAY OF AEROSOL PAINT CONTAINERS AND MARKING PENS Every person who owns, conducts, operates or manages a retail commercial establishment selling aerosol paint containers, or felt-tip marker or marking pens, shall store or cause such containers or pens to be stored in an area viewable by, but not accessible to, the public in the regular course of business without employee assistance,pending legal sale or disposition of such containers or pens. It is the intent of this Section to permit, but not to require, viewability of aerosol paint containers and felt-tip marker or marking pens while they are stored or displayed pending retail sale.Section 8.37.070 GRAFFITI ON PRIVATE PROPERTY It shall be unlawful for the owner of any private property to permit graffiti or other inscribed materials to remain on structures so as to be capable of being viewed by a person utilizing any public right-of-way in the City, such as a highway, street, road, parkway or alley, providing the City has given written notice to the owner or occupant requiring removal of the graffiti within a period of not less than three (3) calendar days and such time period has elapsed without remedial action.Section 8. 37.080 GRAFFITI Notwithstanding any other provisions of the Orange Municipal Code, when the Director of Community Services determines that graffiti or other inscribed material constitutes obnoxious graffiti and by virtue of its location on public or private property is in view of a person utilizing any public right-of-way, whether a highway,street, road, parkway or alley, the City shall be authorized to undertake the removal of such graffiti. Prior to the removal of such graffiti the City shall obtain the written consent of the owner for such action and the owner shall execute an appropriate release form and right of entry form to permit such graffiti removal. If the City provides for the removal of graffiti, it shall not authorize or undertake to provide for the painting or repair of any more extensive area than that area where the graffiti is located.Section 8.37.090 RESPONSIBILITY FOR COST OF REMOVAL Whenever graffiti has been removed from public or private property at the expense of the City of Orange, each person who placed any of the graffiti and the custodial parents or guardians of any minor who placed any of the graffiti (hereinafter collectively the "responsible persons") shall be legally responsible to reimburse the City of Orange for all costs of removal. Upon the determination of the costs of removal, the Finance Director is hereby authorized and directed to invoice the aforesaid responsible persons for such costs. Such costs shall be a debt jointly and severally owed to the City by such responsible persons.Section 8.37. 100 PENALTY In addition to other penalties under state law which may be applicable, any violation of this chapter shall be a misdemeanor offense punishable by either six (6) months in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both such fine and imprisonment.Section 8.37.110 GRAFFITI REWARD A reward in an amount established by Resolution of the City Council may be authorized, offered and may be paid by the City to any person who provides information which leads to the determination of the identity of, and the apprehension and conviction of, any person who willfully or maliciously paints, mars, or defaces any public or private ORDNO. structure located on private or public property with the City. No law enforcement officer, municipal officer, official or employee of the City shall be eligible for such reward. In the event of damage to public property, the person committing the graffiti and, if that person is an unemancipated minor, then the custodial parent of said minor, shall be liable to reimburse the City for any rewards paid pursuant to this Section. Section 8.37.120 SEVERABILITY It is declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this Section form an interrelated program for dealing with the problem of graffiti and vandalism within the City, but that such sections, paragraphs, clauses and phrases are distinct and severable and, in the event that any sections, paragraphs, clauses and phrases are declared unconstitutional, invalid or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality, invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect any of the remaining sections, paragraphs, clauses or phrases of this Chapter. Section III: A summary of this Ordinance shall be published and a certified copy of the full text of this Ordinance shall be posted in the Office of the City Clerk at least five days prior to the City Council meeting at which this Ordinance is to be adopted. A summary of this Ordinance shall also be published once within fifteen (15) days after this Ordinance's passage in the Orange City News, a newspaper of general circulation, published, and circulated in the City of Orange. The City Clerk shall post in the Office of the City Clerk a certified copy of the full text of such adopted Ordinance along with the names of those City Council members voting for and against the Ordinance in accordance with Government Code Section 36933. This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days from and after the date of its final passage. ADOPTED this 20th day of April 1993. ORDNO.4- ATTEST: 1d4~6yr'/ ~ fi&<;1tf~ City Cle of e 'y 0 Orange STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF ORANGE CITY OF ORANGE I, MARILYN J. JENSEN, City Clerk of the City of Orange, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance was introduced at the regular meeting of the City Council held on the 13th day of April , 1993, and thereafter at a regular meeting of said City Council duly held on the 20th day of April , 1993, was duly passed and adopted by the following vote, to wit: AYES:COUNCIL MEMBERS:SPURGEON BARRERA, MAYOR BEYER COONTZ, MURPHY NONENOES:COUNCIL MEMBERS: ABSENT:COUNCIL MEMBERS:NONE 0 c::;h#-fi'~?'Z---cfty Cler f ttWcW of Orange ORDNO. 4-93 7