HomeMy WebLinkAboutA001 - Council Action Form dated January 11, 1994 o�
ITEM .
�3
DATE: 1/11y94
COUNCIL ACTION FORM
I
SUBJECT: Signage Requirement for Private Parking Lots
BACKGROUND:
The Police Department has received a request from a person visiting Ames
from Lawrence, Kansas, to implement a regulation requiring that proper
signage be posted in private parking lots when ticketing and towing is
performed. This signage would inform motorists that unauthorized vehicles
may be towed from the lot. The request was initiated by an incident where
the complainant's vehicle was towed from a private parking lot in
Campustown. According to the complainant, there was no signage
indicating that it was a private lot or that unauthorized vehicles would be
towed. He was subsequently charged $63.60 when he retrieved his vehicle
from a private towing company's impound lot.
Currently, police officers are obligated to ticket any unauthorized vehicles
parked in commercial, institutional or multi-unit residential parking lots
when requested by the property owner or manager, regardless if adequate
signage is visible. With this proposed ordinance, police officers would
issue parking tickets only if signage informing motorists of the tow-away
provision is visible. Towing can still be initiated by the property owner
if unauthorized vehicles are parked in private lots without proper signage;
however, the Police Department would not ticket the vehicles.
Signs should be easily distinguished by motorists entering the lot. Police
officers will take into consideration the adequacy and visibility of the
signage before issuing tickets; if no or inadequate signage is posted, no
ticket will be written and the property owner will be informed of the
reason.
City staff will inform property owners about this requirement when new site
plans are presented. The Campustown and Downtown Betterment
Associations will be notified by staff about this new requirement.
ALTERNATIVES:
1. Approve an ordinance requiring owners of private parking lots to post
adequate signage before police officers would ticket unauthorized
vehicles.
2. Do not approve an ordinance requiring owners of private parking lots
to post adequate signage.
- 2 -
MANAGER'S RECOMMENDED ACTION:
It is the recommendation of the City Manager that the City Council adopt
Alternative 1, which would require owners of private parking lots to post
adequate signage before police officers would ticket unauthorized vehicles.
COUNCIL ACTION: