Seattle City Council Bills and Ordinances
Information modified on March 1, 2013; retrieved on April 26, 2024 8:34 PM
Ordinance 124113
Introduced as Council Bill 117694
Title | |
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AN ORDINANCE related to the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation; amending Chapters 18.12, and 18.30 of the Seattle Municipal Code, to clarify the enforcement authority and procedures of the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation. |
Description and Background | |
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Current Status: | Passed |
Fiscal Note: | Fiscal Note to Council Bill No. 117694 |
Index Terms: | PARKS-DEPARTMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE-PROCEDURES, PARKS, CRIMINAL-OFFENSES |
References: | Related: Resolution 29475 |
Legislative History | |
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Sponsor: | BAGSHAW | tr>
Date Introduced: | January 22, 2013 |
Committee Referral: | Parks and Neighborhoods |
Committee Action Date: | February 7, 2013 |
Committee Recommendation: | Pass |
Committee Vote: | 2 (Bagshaw, Godden) - 0 |
City Council Action Date: | February 11, 2013 |
City Council Action: | Passed |
City Council Vote: | 8-0 (excused: Clark) |
Date Delivered to Mayor: | February 12, 2013 |
Date Signed by Mayor: (About the signature date) | February 20, 2013 |
Date Filed with Clerk: | February 20, 2013 |
Signed Copy: | PDF scan of Ordinance No. 124113 |
Text | |
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AN ORDINANCE related to the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation; amending Chapters 18.12, and 18.30 of the Seattle Municipal Code, to clarify the enforcement authority and procedures of the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation. WHEREAS, the Department of Parks and Recreation ("DPR") has jurisdiction over property and facilities acquired or held in trust for park, recreation, boulevard, and open space purposes; and WHEREAS, those park lands and facilities are intended to be available for public use and enjoyment; and WHEREAS, the Superintendent of Parks and Recreation ("Superintendent") is responsible for the management and control of park land; and WHEREAS, the City's parks share boundaries with thousands of adjacent property owners, some of whom have built structures, installed landscaping, made other unauthorized use of or dumped refuse or other material on City park lands; and WHEREAS, in 1996 the City Council adopted, and the Mayor approved, Resolution 29475 supporting the following Policy statement: "The Department of Parks and Recreation, as stewards of public park lands is responsible for preserving and protecting Seattle's park system. In order to preserve the public character of park lands and assure their availability for public use and enjoyment, it is the policy of the Department of Parks and Recreation to eliminate and prevent unauthorized non-park uses. Further it is the policy of the Department of Parks and Recreation to limit authorized non-park uses to the fullest extent practicable;" and WHEREAS, Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 18.30 provides enforcement authority to the Superintendent and authorizes him or his designees to take certain actions to eliminate unauthorized, non-park uses and dumping on park lands, and WHEREAS, the Superintendent has determined that the current enforcement system can be changed to be more effective in preventing and eliminating unauthorized uses of and dumping on park land, and WHEREAS, it is appropriate that Title 18 should discourage continuing violations by imposing cumulative penalties that exceed the amount of fees that would have been paid if a revocable use permit had been obtained; and WHEREAS, enforcement against violators is necessary to protect the City's park land and the effective implementation of Parks' permit system requires consistent ongoing enforcement against violators; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Section 18.12.070 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 113436, is amended as follows:
18.12.070 No-trespassing areas---Removal or destruction of property(( A. It is unlawful for any person except a duly authorized Department of Parks and Recreation or other City employee in the performance of his or her duties, or other person duly authorized pursuant to law, to enter or go upon any area which has been designated and posted by the Superintendent as a "no admittance" or "no trespassing" area for the purpose of protecting the environment or for the purpose of protecting the public from conditions which constitute a potential hazard to life or physical well-being.
B. It is unlawful for any person except a duly authorized Department of Parks and Recreation or other City employee in the performance of his or her duties, or other person duly authorized ((
((
Section 2. Section 18.12.290 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 106615, is amended as follows:
18.12.290 Designated((
Except as otherwise specifically provided in this chapter or subject to enforcement under Chapter 18.30 , any violation of or failure to comply with any provision of this chapter shall constitute a violation subject to the provisions of Chapters
12A.02 and 12A.04 of this Code (Seattle Criminal Code)(( Section 3. The title of Chapter 18.30 and Section 18.30.010 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 118339, are amended as follows:
Chapter 18.30 ((
18.30.010 Definitions(( A. The following definitions apply within Chapter 18.30 :
1. "Abatement" means removal or elimination of an unauthorized use of park property, whether by physical removal or by legal action. ((
2. ((
((
((
((
(( a. Owns or has a possessory interest in property benefited by an unauthorized use; b. Owns or has a possessory interest in property from which dumping occurred; c. Owns or has a possessory interest in a business benefited by an unauthorized use; and/or d . Establishes, continues, or maintains an unauthorized use or dumping.
e. ((
((
((
((
(( a. Any driveway, temporary vehicle access, parking pad, stairway, walkway, building, patio, deck, sign, or other structure; b. Fencing, staging, scaffolding, or other structure, material, machinery or tools used or to be used in connection with the erection, alteration, demolition, repair , maintenance or painting of any structure; c. Landscaping, including hedges or other plant materials that create a barrier to prevent or discourage public use of park property or a portion thereof, gardens and rockeries; d. Drainage facilities, including but not limited to pipes, catch basins, sumps, swales, detention ponds and ancillary structures; e. Utility installations and ancillary structures;
f. Storing or placing any(( g. Disturbing or altering any park property by digging, cutting, excavating, filling, chipping, puncturing or breaking; h. Planting, removing, injuring, destroying, cutting, topping or pruning any tree, shrub, plant or flower on park property, provided that "use" does not include routine maintenance specifically allowed under the terms of a volunteer program approved by the Department;
i. Constructing, reconstructing, repairing or removing any driveway, curb, (( j. Vending of any kind, whether of a product or a service.
((
(( B. Wherever consistent with the context of this chapter, words in the present, past or future tenses shall be construed to be interchangeable with each other, words in the singular number shall be construed to include the plural, and words in the masculine gender shall apply to the feminine and neuter genders. Section 4. Section 18.30.020 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 118339, is amended as follows:
18.30.020 Violation of chapter((
It is a violation of ((
A. (( B. Remove or deface any sign, notice, complaint or order required by or posted in accordance with Title 18; C. Misrepresent any material fact in any application, plans or other information submitted to obtain any permit or authorization to use or dump on park property; D. Fail to comply with the requirements of Title 18. Section 5. A new Section 18.30.024 is added to the Seattle Municipal Code, as follows: 18.30.024 Authority to enforce A. The Superintendent is authorized to enforce Title 18. The Superintendent may call upon the police, fire, health or other appropriate City departments or government agencies to assist in enforcement. B. The Superintendent may enter any park property at any time to perform the duties imposed by Title 18. If necessary, the Superintendent will obtain the consent of the owner or occupier of a building or premises or obtain a lawfully issued inspection warrant to enter buildings or premises that are owned by the Department of Parks and Recreation, but leased to or being used by a private entity. C. Title 18 shall be enforced for the benefit of the health, safety and welfare of the general public and the parks system, and not for the benefit of any particular person or class of persons. D. It is the intent of Title 18 to place the obligation of complying with its requirements upon the adjacent property owner, occupant or other person responsible for the unauthorized use of park property. The abatement of an unauthorized use and restoration of park property is still the responsibility of the responsible party currently benefitting from the encroachment or unauthorized use, even if the unauthorized use may have been installed or created by a previous owner or other responsible party. E. No provision of or term used in Title 18 is intended to impose any duty upon the City or any of its officers or employees that would subject them to damages in a civil action. Section 6. A new Section 18.30.028 of the Seattle Municipal Code is added, as follows: 18.30.028 Investigation and notice of violation A. The Superintendent is authorized to investigate any use of a park property that the Superintendent reasonably believes does not comply with the requirements of Title 18. B. If after investigation the Superintendent determines that Title 18 has been violated, the Superintendent may issue a notice of violation to the adjacent property owner, occupant or other responsible party. The notice of violation shall briefly describe each violation; state what corrective action, if any, is necessary to comply with Title 18; and set a reasonable time for compliance, not to exceed 90 days. Compliance may be achieved by abating an unauthorized use and restoring the park property, or by applying for and obtaining a permit for the use. C. The notice shall be served upon the adjacent property owner, occupant or other responsible party, by personal service as provided by RCW 4.28.080 for service of a summons, or sent by first class mail, addressed to the last known address of such person(s) and posted at a conspicuous place on the site. Service shall be complete at the time of personal service; or if mailed, three days following the date of mailing. D. Nothing in this section shall limit or preclude any action or proceeding pursuant to Section 18.30.032, Stop Work Orders, and nothing in this section shall obligate or require the Superintendent to issue a notice of violation prior to the imposition of civil penalties. E. A notice of violation may be amended at any time to: 1. Correct clerical and other errors, or 2. Cite additional authority for a stated violation. F. Unless a request for review is made according to Section 18.30.044, the notice of violation shall become the final order of the Superintendent. After the notice of violation becomes the final order of the Superintendent, a copy of the notice of violation may be recorded with the King County Department of Records and Elections. Section 7. Section 18.30.030 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 118339 and that currently reads as follows, is repealed:
((
Section 8. A new Section 18.30.036 of the Seattle Municipal Code is added, as follows: 18.30.036 Time to comply When calculating a reasonable time for compliance, the Superintendent shall consider the following: A. The type and degree of violation cited in the notice; B. The stated intent, if any, of an adjacent property owner, occupant or other responsible party to take steps to comply; C. The procedural requirements for obtaining a permit; D. The complexity of the corrective action; and E. Any circumstances beyond the control of the adjacent property owner, occupant or other party responsible for the violation. Section 9. Section 18.30.040 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance ____ and that currently reads as follows, is repealed:
((
Section 10. A new Section 18.30.040 of the Seattle Municipal Code is added, as follows: 18.30.040 -Extension of compliance date The Superintendent may grant an extension of time for compliance with any notice or Order, not to exceed 90 days, whether pending or final, upon the Superintendent's finding that substantial progress toward compliance has been made and that the public will not be adversely affected by the extension. The Superintendent may rescind an extension of time if it is shown that the conditions at the time the extension was granted have changed, the Superintendent determines that a party is not performing corrective actions as agreed, or if the extension creates an adverse effect on the public. Notice rescinding the extension date shall be mailed to all responsible parties via first class mail and the compliance date shall then be three days after mailing the notice. Section 11. A new Section 18.30.044 of the Seattle Municipal Code is added, as follows: 18.30.044 -Review by the Superintendent A. Any person aggrieved by a notice of violation issued by the Superintendent pursuant to SMC 18.30.028 may obtain a review of the notice by requesting such review in writing within 10 days of the date of the notice. When the last day of the period so computed is a Saturday, Sunday, or federal or City holiday, the period shall run until 5 p.m. on the next business day. Within 30 days of the request for review, the aggrieved person shall submit any additional information to be considered for the review. Before the deadline for submitting information, any person aggrieved by or interested in the notice of violation may submit any additional information in the form of written material to the Superintendent for consideration as part of the review. B. The review will be made by a representative of the Superintendent who is familiar with the case and the applicable ordinances. The Superintendent's representative will review all additional information received by the deadline for submitting information. The reviewer may also request clarification of information received and a site visit. After review of the additional information, the Superintendent may: 1. Sustain the notice of violation; 2. Withdraw the notice of violation; 3. Continue the review to a date certain, not to exceed 90 days, for receipt of additional information; or 4. Modify the notice of violation, including extending the compliance date, not to exceed 90 days. C. The Superintendent shall issue an Order of the Superintendent containing the decision and shall mail the Order by first-class mail to the person or persons named on the notice of violation. The Superintendent may record the Order with the King County Recorder's Office. Section 12. Section 18.30.050 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 118339, is amended as follows:
18.30.050 ((
A. If ((
((
(( 3. Abate the unauthorized use or dumping and restore the affected park property , at the responsible party's expense ;
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(( B. A subaccount shall be established in the Parks Fund to receive revenue from penalties under this Section 18.30.050, which shall be allocated to fund the enforcement of this Chapter 18.30. Section 13. Section 18.30.055 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 118339, is amended as follows:
18.30.055 Department abatement of unauthorized uses--Unidentified responsible parties and emergency situations((
If the Department cannot identify a party responsible for the unauthorized use despite using all reasonable means((
Section 14. Section 18.30.060 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 118339 and that currently reads as follows, is repealed:
((
Section 15. Section 18.30.070 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 118339 and that currently reads as follows, is repealed:
((
Section 16. Section 18.30.080 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 118339, is recodified and amended as follows:
(( A. The Superintendent may issue a Stop Work Order to halt:
1. An ongoing unauthorized use of park property that creates a substantial risk of injury to persons, ((
2. (( B. The Superintendent shall post the Stop Work Order at a conspicuous place on the site and, if possible, serve a copy upon a person doing or responsible for the activity. Once the Superintendent posts the Stop Work Order, all unauthorized use and dumping in the park shall cease immediately. C. The Stop Work Order shall state the activity or unauthorized use being stopped and the basis of the Stop Work Order. The Stop Work Order may require the responsible party to correct the violation or hazard that prompted the Stop Work Order and restore the affected park property.
D. A person aggrieved by a Stop Work Order of the Superintendent has five ((
E. A responsible party who fails to comply with a Stop Work Order is subject to penalties as provided by Section 18.30.050. (( Section 17. Section 18.30.090 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 118339 and that currently reads as follows, is repealed:
((
Section 18. The provisions of this ordinance are declared to be separate and severable. The invalidity of any particular provision shall not affect the validity of any other provision. Section 19. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its approval by the Mayor, but if not approved and returned by the Mayor within ten days after presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Section 1.04.020. Passed by the City Council the ____ day of ________________________, 2013, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of ___________________, 2013. _________________________________ President __________of the City Council Approved by me this ____ day of _____________________, 2013. _________________________________ Michael McGinn, Mayor Filed by me this ____ day of __________________________, 2013. ____________________________________ Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk (Seal) Terry Dunning/ns DPR Encroachment Code ORD January 7, 2013 Version #9a |
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