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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 14896ORDINANCE NO. / ~~~ AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 22 TITLED "MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC" OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH (1986), BY THE ADDITION OF SECTION OF SECTION 22-179 " SOLICITATION OF EMPLOYMENT BETWEEN AN OCCUPANT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AND A PEDESTRIAN", PROVIDING THAT THE ORDINANCE IS CUMULATIVE; PROVIDING A PENALTY CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION IN THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS the Crty Council of Fort Worth ("City Council") finds that the sohcrtation of employment between an occupant of a motor vehicle and a pedestrian causes distraction of motorists, WHEREAS the City Council finds that such distraction from the sohcrtation of employment causes the safe and orderly flow of traffic to be impeded by motorists stopping unexpectedly, lingering at traffic control devices and failing to attend to driving; WHEREAS the City Council finds that distracted drivers pose a sigmficant risk of physical m~ury to motorists and pedestrians, WHEREAS, by enacting this ordinance the Crty Council desires to promote the safe and orderly traffic flow in areas in which the safe and orderly traffic flow is impeded by the solicitation of employment between an occupant of a motor vehicle and a pedestrian, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS, AS FOLLOWS SECTION 1. Chapter 22 "Motor Vehicles and Traffic" of the Code of the City of Fort Worth is hereby amended to add a new section, Section 22-179, "Sohcrtation Between an Occupant of a Motor Vehicle and A Pedestrian", to prohibit the solicrtation of employment between an occupant of a motor vehicle and a pedestrian as follows "Section 22-179 Solicitation Between an Occupant of a Motor Vehicle a Pedestrian" (a) This section applies (1) m the area defined by a boundary beginning at the intersection of Pme and Vickery, proceeding north on Pme to Lancaster, then proceeding west on Lancaster to Commerce, then proceeding north on Commerce to 5th Street, then proceeding west on 5th Street to Throckmorton, then proceeding south on Throckmorton to Lancaster, then proceeding west on Lancaster to the east bank of the Trinity River, then proceeding south along the east bank of the Trinity River to Vickery, then proceeding east on Vickery to the point of beginning; and (2) on the streets and pedestrian rights-of--way that bound the areas described m this subsection. (b) In this section "private parking area" means privately owned property for vehicle parking, and adjacent driveways, walkways, setbacks, and landscaped areas. (c) A person who is m or next to a street, on a sidewalk, or m a private parking area commits an offense if the person solicits, attempts to solicit employment or business from an occupant of a motor vehicle. (d) A person m a motor vehicle commits an offense if the person hires, or attempts to hire a person who is in or next to a street, on a sidewalk, or in a private parking area. (e) This section does not apply to (1) at a facility operated by or for the Crty, and designated by the City Manager as a place where the sohcrtahon of employment is permitted, (2) at a facility primarily operated as a employment agency and where the solicitation of employment is permitted, or (3) a private parking area unless the owner of the parking area has permanently posted a conspicuous sign at each entrance of the parking area, m both English and Spanish, stating that rt is a misdemeanor to engage m solicitation for employment. (f) An offense under this section is punishable by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500 00) " 2 SECTION 2. This ordinance shall be cumulative of all provisions of ordinances and of the Code of the City of Fort Worth, Texas (1986), as amended, except where the provisions of this ordinance are m direct conflict with the provisions of such ordinances and such Code, m which event conflicting provisions of such ordinances and such Code are hereby repealed. SECTION 3. It is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and, if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared unconstitutional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent ~ur-sdiction, such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaimng phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted by the Crty Council without the incorporation m this ordinance of any such unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section. SECTION 4 Any person, firm or corporation, who violates, disobeys, omits, neglects or refuses to comply with or who resists the enforcement of any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be fined not more than Frye Hundred Dollars ($500 00) for each offense. Each .time a person violates this ordinance shall constitute a separate offense. SECTION 5. All nghts and remedies of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, are expressly saved as to any and all violations of the provisions of the ordinances amended m Section 1, which have accrued at the time of the effective date of this ordinance and, as to such accrued violations and all pending 3 ., ;-. ~. litigation, both civil and criminal, whether pending m court or not, under such ordinances, same shall not be affected by this ordinance but may be prosecuted until final disposition by the courts. SECTION 6. The City Secretary of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, is hereby directed to publish the caption and Section 4 of this ordinance for two (2) days m the official newspaper of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, as authorized by Section 2, Chapter XXV of the Charter of the City of Fort Worth, Texas and by Section 52 013, Texas Local Government Code. SECTION 7. Tlus ordinance shall be m full force and effect after publication on January 1, 2002 and rt is so ordained. APPROVE TO LEGALITY ASSI ANT ATTORNEY 4 ~~ ._ ;,~,~y z~ , J ~~ __ .-~~~ ~-~ '~7 -~ _. 1 7 .:; ~R. ~.,~ ~~ ~l`5 `~~ g - . N C N O C6 J 0 City of Fort Worth, Texas ~I~A~a~ and C,aunc~l Car»ntun~cAt~an DATE REFERENCE NUMBER LOG NAME PAGE 12/18/01 **G-13465 12SOLICIT 1 of 1 SUBJECT ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 22 "MOTOR VEHICLE AND TRAFFIC" OF THE CITY CODE PROHIBITING SOLIC{T/ATION OF EMPLOYMENT BETWEEN AN OCCUPANT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AND A PEDESTR{AN IN A SPECIFIED AREA RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council adopt. the attached ordinance prohibiting solicitation of employment between an occupant of a motor vehicle and a pedestrian in a specified area. DISCUSSION In order to promote the orderly flow of traffic and to limit the distraction of motorists in areas in which there is a high concentration of solicitation of employment by a pedestrian, staff recommends adoption of the attached ordinance that prohibits the solicitation of employment between an occupant of a motor vehicle and a pedestrian in a specified area. The ordinance would prohibit the solicitation in the following specified areas, as shown on Exhibit B "Beginning at the intersection of Pine Street and Vickery Boulevard, proceeding north on Pine Street to Lancaster Avenue, then proceeding west on Lancaster Avenue to Commerce Street, then proceeding north on Commerce Street to 5th Street, then proceeding west on 5th Street to Throckmorton Street, then proceeding south on Throckmorton Street to Lancaster Avenue, then proceeding west on Lancaster Avenue to the east bank of the Trinity River, then proceeding south along the east bank of the Trinity River to Vickery Boulevard, then proceeding east on Vickery Boulevard to the point of beginning The specified area would include the streets and pedestrian rights-of-way that bound the areas described above " A violation of the ordinance would be punishable by a fine not to exceed $500 00 This ordinance is effective January 1, 2002 FISCAL INFORMATION/CERTIFICATION The Finance Director certifies that this action will have no material effect on City funds. LW'k Submitted for City Manager's FUND ACCOUNT CENTER AMOUNT CITY SECRETARY Office by: (to) a~p~ov~D Libby Watson 6183 CITY COUI~CII Originating Department Head: ~ DEC 1g 2001 David Yett 7606 (from) ~ ~~ Additional Information Contact: ~,` ea.~«tiJ ~"`" ~ Citg Secretary of 41t~s Citg of Faat @Erot`t?t;'1~3~:~.~- Cynthia Garcia 7611 Adu~ted ~rd~R~~~;n ~~ ~