Chapter 10.12
PARKING
Sections:
10.12.010 Parking requirements.
10.12.020 Liability for violations.
10.12.030 Overnight parking prohibited on designated streets.
10.12.035 Parking restricted to one side of street.
10.12.038 Registered owner presumed to be responsible.
10.12.050 Parking prohibited in designated areas.
10.12.060 Additional parking regulations.
10.12.070 Disabled parking--Penalties.
10.12.080 Infractions--Notice--Penalties.
10.12.090 Disposition of parking fines.
10.12.010 Parking requirements.
No person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended on any public place without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition, removing the ignition key from the vehicle, and setting the parking brakes or engaging a transmission locking device thereon. (Ord. 950 §2(part), 1993)
10.12.020 Liability for violations.
Every person in whose name a motor vehicle is registered shall be presumed responsible for any violation of the terms of this chapter. (Ord. 950 §2(part), 1993)
10.12.030 Overnight parking prohibited on designated streets.
It is unlawful for any person to park any vehicle owned by him/her or in his/her possession or under his/her control upon the following streets or portions of streets overnight. “Overnight” is defined as between the hours of two a.m. and six a.m.
A. Wapato Avenue, between First Street and Fifth Street;
B. South Kateri Lane;
C. Fourth Street from South Satus Avenue to South Camas Avenue. (Ord. 1238 §1H, 2011: Ord. 955 §1, 1993: Ord. 950 §2(part), 1993)
10.12.035 Parking restricted to one side of street.
It is unlawful for any person to park any vehicle on the designated portions of the following streets:
A. The west side of South Satus Avenue, between West Sixth Street and West Ninth Street;
B. The south side of West Sixth Street, between South Camas Avenue and South Ahtanum Avenue;
C. West Third Street, between South Ahtanum Avenue and South Naches Avenue;
D. North Track Road. (Ord. 1238 §1I, 2011: Ord. 976 §1, 1994)
10.12.036 Parking in front of city hall.
Repealed by Ord. 1238. (Ord. 983 §1, 1995)
10.12.037 Two-hour parking zone.
Repealed by Ord. 1238. (Ord. 986 §1, 1995)
10.12.038 Registered owner presumed to be responsible.
For purposes of enforcing parking regulations, the registered owner of the vehicle which is illegally parked, as determined by records maintained by the state Department of Licensing, is presumed to be the driver and the person responsible for any violations of the parking restrictions set forth in this chapter. (Ord. 986 §2, 1995)
10.12.040 Towing.
A. A vehicle parked in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall be towed and removed to a place of safety at the owner’s expense if the vehicle will interfere with street sweeping or snow removal equipment. Vehicles otherwise parked in violation of this chapter may be impounded.
B. Clearly conspicuous signs shall be posted in the locations where the duration of parking is limited by any section of this chapter, visible to all who park there, that clearly indicate the parking limitations applicable to the area, and that a vehicle parked in violation thereof may be towed and impounded. Said signs shall also state the telephone number to call for information about redeeming the impounded vehicle.
C. If the vehicle has current Washington registration tags, the law enforcement officer discovering a vehicle parked in an unauthorized location shall check the records to learn the identity of the registered owner. The officer or the police department shall make a reasonable effort to contact the owner by telephone or direct contact in order to give the owner the opportunity to remove the vehicle before it is towed and removed to a place of safety.
D. For the purposes of this section a place of safety includes the business location of a registered tow truck operator.
E. No tow truck operator shall tow a vehicle pursuant to this section except in compliance with the laws of the state of Washington pertaining to tow truck operators as codified in RCW Title 46. (Ord. 986 §3, 1995; Ord. 950 §2 (part), 1993)
10.12.050 Parking prohibited in designated areas.
Except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic, or in compliance with the directions of a police officer or official traffic-control device, it is a traffic infraction for any person to park any vehicle owned by him/her or in his/her possession or under his/her control in the following areas:
A. On a sidewalk;
B. Between a sidewalk and a curb, except on the south side of West Ninth Street; provided, that vehicles parked on the south side of West Ninth Street shall be parked facing east;
C. Within an intersection;
D. On a crosswalk;
E. On any railroad tracks;
F. At any place where official signs prohibit parking;
G. In front of a public or private driveway, public or private alley or roadway, or within five feet of the curb radius leading thereto;
H. Within fifteen feet of a fire hydrant;
I. Within twenty feet of a crosswalk;
J. Within twenty feet of the driveway entrance to any fire station;
K. Within fifteen feet of a mailbox between ten a.m. and four p.m. in such manner as will obstruct normal mail delivery, except on Sundays or legal holidays;
L. Within thirty feet upon the approach to any flashing signal, stop sign, yield sign, or traffic control signal located at the side of the roadway;
M. Adjacent to a yellow curb. (Ord. 1238 §1J, 2011: Ord. 955 §2, 1993: Ord. 950 §2(part), 1993)
10.12.055 Parking prohibited.
Parking of trucks, as defined in Section 10.08.010, or truck trailers shall not be allowed in the following locations:
A. In any school zone, regardless of whether school is in session or whether any school zone lights are illuminated;
B. In residential areas, including but not limited to residentially zoned portions of the city; or
C. In residential front, back or side yards. (Ord. 1238 §2, 2011)
10.12.060 Additional parking regulations.
A. Except where the roadway is marked for angle parking, every vehicle stopped or parked upon a two-way roadway shall be stopped or parked with the right-hand wheels parallel to and within twelve inches of the right-hand curb or as close as practicable to the right edge of the road if there is no curb.
B. Every vehicle stopped or parked within a marked angle parking stall shall be stopped or parked with the right front wheel within twelve inches of the curb.
C. It is unlawful to park a vehicle on a public street if the vehicle has an expired license tab.
D. The penalty for violating subsection C of this section is an infraction, punishable by a one hundred fifty dollar fine. Such infraction may only be issued after a written warning has been provided by placing a written warning on the vehicle and five days have passed after that written warning. (Ord. 1238 §1K, 2011: Ord. 950 §2(part), 1993)
10.12.070 Disabled parking--Penalties.
It is a traffic infraction, with a monetary penalty of two hundred fifty dollars, for any person who does not meet the criteria for special parking privileges under Chapter 46.19 RCW, or who does not have a passenger in the vehicle who meets those criteria, to park a motor vehicle in a parking space or stall marked for disabled parking; or for any person to block, park in or obstruct the aisle located next to the disabled parking space. If a person is charged with a violation of this section, the person shall not be determined to have committed an infraction if the person produces the special license plate, card or decal required under Chapter 46.19 RCW. For second and subsequent violations, in addition to the two-hundred-fifty-dollar monetary penalty, persons violating this section shall also complete forty hours of community service for a nonprofit organization that serves persons having disabilities or debilitating diseases, or any other community service that would sensitize the violator to the needs and obstacles faced by those having disabilities. (Ord. 1299 §1, 2015: Ord. 1238 §1L, 2011: Ord. 950 §2(part), 1993)
10.12.080 Infractions--Notice--Penalties.
A. Notice. If any motor vehicle is found parked in violation of any of the restrictions implied by this chapter, the police officer finding the vehicle shall make a record of the license number on the vehicle, the license year and state, and the make and type of vehicle, and may take any other information displayed on the vehicle which may identify its user, and shall conspicuously affix to the vehicle a notice of parking infraction, or the standard infraction ticket indicating the parking violation.
B. Penalty. Except as otherwise provided for by law, any person found to have committed an act designated a traffic infraction under the provisions of this chapter shall be punished by a penalty of not more than two hundred fifty dollars. If the penalty remains unpaid, and is not contested or mitigated, within thirty days, it may be referred to a collection agency for collection, and may also be referred to the state Department of Licensing for such action as is deemed appropriate by said agency. (Ord. 1238 §1M, 2011: Ord. 1167 §1, 2007: Ord. 1033 §1, 1997: Ord. 986 §4, 1995; Ord. 950 §2(part), 1993)
10.12.090 Disposition of parking fines.
All fines collected for parking infractions shall be distributed according to local ordinance and state law. (Ord. 1238 §1N, 2011: Ord. 950 §2(part), 1993)
10.12.100 Parking permits.
A. The city council is authorized to provide for monthly use of such off-street parking facilities as demand indicates and as necessary for the public safety, and to set rates for such use yearly through fee resolution. Rates shall cover, at a minimum, the necessary costs and fees for operating and maintaining the parking facility. Parking rates may be changed yearly for any reason by the city council.
B. The off-street parking facilities available for permit parking shall be the parking lot located at the northwest corner of East Second Street and Trader Street, Yakima County assessor’s parcel number 191115-11427.
C. Priority for off-street parking permits will be given to residents who live on Main Street, where overnight parking is not permitted pursuant to Section 10.12.030, and then to residents within a one-block radius of the parking facility. Permits shall not be provided for temporary residents, guests, or visitors. Only residents with valid addresses of residence and proof of residency shall be allowed to apply for and receive a parking permit.
D. Permit rates for the remainder of 2013 shall be twenty dollars per month per permit, payable on the first day of the month. A permit may cover more than one car owned by the resident, but only one resident’s car may use the permit and parking facility at any one time. Starting in 2014, permits will be available on a yearly basis with full payment for the year, two hundred forty dollars, due prior to issuance of a permit. Other length permits may be available depending on circumstances and solely within the discretion of the mayor.
E. Applications for off-street parking permits shall be provided at Wapato City Hall in a form to be determined by the city clerk/treasurer and approved by the mayor. Hang tags clearly outlining the expiration date of the permit shall be provided upon approval of the application.
F. Hang tags and/or decals must be clearly displayed in or on the vehicle, expiration date facing outwards, at all times the vehicle is parked in the off-street parking facility, as dictated by the parking hang tag or decal, or otherwise. Each vehicle parked at the parking facility must display a hang tag and/or decal. If a vehicle does not display a hang tag and/or decal pursuant to this section, the vehicle may be ticketed and/or towed from the parking facility.
G. Violation of this code section shall result in a parking infraction under Section 10.12.080. It shall not be a defense that the hang tag was not present at the time of the infraction. (Ord. 1279 §1, 2013)