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HomeMy WebLinkAbout896_Part 15 Ch 2_Increase in Fines_Speed in Work/Construction ZoneTulsa County Clerk- EARLENE WILSON Doc # 2007077 103 Paqes 3 Receipt # 934272 07/11/07 13:12.13 Fee 17.00 CITY OF OWASSO, OKLAHOMA ORDINANCE NO. 896 AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO PART 15, TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES, CHAPTER 2, ENFORCEMENT, OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF OWASSO, OKLAHOMA, AMENDING SAME BY AUTHORIZING AN INCREASE OF THE FINE FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT IN CONSTRUCTION ZONES. THIS ORDINANCE AMENDS PART 15, CHAPTER 2, OF THE CITY OF OWASSO CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING SECTION 15 -210, MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION ZONES. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OWASSO, OKLAHOMA, THAT, TO -WIT: SECTION ONE (1): Part t5, Traffic and Vehicles, Chapter 2, Enforcement, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Owasso, Oklahoma, shall be amended by providing and codifying as follows: SECTION 15 -210 MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION ZONES SECTION TWO (2): A. City personnel or contractors, while repairing, improving or maintaining the streets of the J City, and City personnel and utility companies, when installing, improving, or repairing lines or other utility facilities in the streets, are hereby authorized as may be necessary, subject to control by the City Manager, to close any street or section thereof to traffic during such repair, maintenance, or construction. In exercising this authority, the appropriate personnel, contractor or utility company J shall erect or cause to be erected proper traffic control devices and barricades to warn and notify the public that the street has been closed to traffic. Lam.. B. When any street has been closed to traffic under the provisions of Subsection A of this section and traffic control devices or barricades have been erected, it is unlawful for any person to drive any vehicle through, under, over, or around such traffic control devices or barricades, or otherwise to enter the closed area. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to persons entering the closed area or zone for the purpose of protecting lives or property, or to those engaged in the construction, maintenance or repair of the street or utility. Persons having their places of residence or places of business within the closed area may travel, whenever possible to do so, through the area at their own risk. C. Whenever construction, repair, or maintenance of any street, utility line or any other facility is beitig performed at or near a place where vehicles travel, the City personnel, contractor, or utility company concerned shall erect, or cause to be erected, traffic control devices to warn and guide the public. Every person using the street shall obey all signs, signals, markings, flag persons, or other traffic control devices which are placed to regulate, control, and guide traffic through the construction or maintenance area. "Construction or maintenance area" means any area upon or around any street or alley that is visibly marked as an area where street or utility construction, repair or maintenance is temporarily occurring, and where workers engaged in the construction, maintenance or repair may be present. The construction area also includes the lanes of a street leading up to the area where construction, repair or maintenance is occurring, starting at the point where properly posted traffic control devices begin to warn and guide the public into and through the construction area, including, but not limited to, instructions to merge from one lane into another lane, to reduce speed or to follow the directions given by flag persons. D. The maximum speed a vehicle may be driven in a construction area shall be plainly posted in the construction area. Violation of the posted speed limit in the repair, maintenance or construction area, or violation of any other provision within this ordinance, shall result in the doubling of the appropriate fine. (State Law Reference: 47 O.S. § 11 -1302 — Maintenance and Construction Zones; 47 0. S. 511 -806 — Special Speed Limitations.) SECTION THREE (3): REPEALER All ordinances, or parts of ordinances, in conflict with this amended ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of the conflict only. SECTION FOUR (4): SEVERABILITY If any part or parts of this ordinance are deemed unconstitutional, invalid or ineffective, the remaining portion shall not be affected but shall remain in full force and effect. SECTION FIVE (5): DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE The provisions of this ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days from the date of final passage as provided by state law. SECTION SIX (6): CODIFICATION The City of Owasso Code of Ordinances is hereby amended by amending an existing ordinance codified in Part 15, Chapter 2, as Section 15 -210. 2 PASSED by the City Council of the City of Owasso, Oklahoma on the 19`x' day of June, 2007. Stephen ataudella, Mayor Sherry Bis p, City Clerk o (S E A L) OkCAHOMP� APPROVED as to form and legality this 19th day of June, 2007. 41b� A Julie Ombardi, City Attorney 1 PUBLISHER'S AFFIDAVIT ORDINANCE NO. 896 PUBLICATION DATE(S) 06/28/07 CASE NUMBER: ORD NO. 896 INVOICE NO: 00034378 LEGAL NOTICE STATE OF OKLAHOMA COUNTY OF Tulsa I SS I, of lawful age, being duly sworn, am a legal representative of Owasso Reporter of Owasso, Oklahoma, a daily newspaper of general circulation in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a newspaper qualified to publish legal notices, advertisements and publications as provided in Section 106 of Title 25, Oklahoma Statutes 1971 and 1982 as amended, and thereafter, and complies with all other requirements of the laws of Oklahoma with reference to legal publications. That said notice, a true copy of which is attached hereto was published in the regular edition of said newspaper during the period and time of publication and not in a supplement, on the ABOVE LISTED DATE(S) Representative Signature Subscribed to and sworn to me this 29th day of June, 2007 Notary Public N CY CAROL MOORE My commission number: 06011684 My commission expires: December 8, 2010 Customer #: 00000779 Customer: CITY OF OWASSO NANCY CAROL CAROL MOORE Publishers Fee: 118.20a Notary Public - 8iate of Oklahoma Tulsa County My Commission Expires December 8, 2010 Commission # 06011684 34378 Published in the Owasso Reporter, Owasso, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, June 28, 2007 CITY OF OWASSO, OKLAHOMA ORDINANCE NO. 896 AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO PART 15, TRAFFIC AND VEHICLES, CHAPTER 2, ENFORCE- MENT, OFTHE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF OWASSO, OKLAHOMA, AMENDING SAME BY AUTHORIZING AN INCREASE OF THE FINE FOR VIOLATIONS OF THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT IN CONSTRUCTION ZONES. THIS ORDINANCE AMENDS PART 15, CHAPTER 2, OF THE CITY OF OWASSO CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING SECTION 15 -210, MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION ZONES. BE IT ORDAINED BYTHE COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OF OWASSO, OKLAHOMA, THAT, TO -WIT SECTION ONE (1): Part 15, Traffic and Vehicles, Chapter 2, Enforcement, of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Owasso, Oklahoma, shall be amended by providing and codifying as fol- lows: SECTION 15 -210 MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION ZONES SECTION TWO (2): A. City personnel or contractors, while repairing, improving or maintaining the streets of the City, and City personnel and utility companies, when installing, improving, or repairing lines or other util- ity facilities in the streets, are hereby authorized as may be necessary, subject to control by the City Manager, to close any street or section thereof to traffic during such repair, maintenance, or con- struction. In exercising this authority, the appropriate personnel, contractor or utility company shall erect or cause to be erected proper traffic control devices and barricades to warn and notify the pub- lic that the street has been closed to traffic. B. When any street has been closed to traffic under the provisions of Subsection A of this section and traffic control devices or barricades have been erected, it is unlawful for any person to drive any vehicle through, under, over, or around such traffic control devices or barricades, or otherwise to enter the closed area. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to persons entering the closed area or zone for the purpose of protecting lives or property, or to those engaged in the con- struction, maintenance or repair of the street or utility. Persons having their places of residence or places of business within the closed area may travel, whenever possible to do so, through the area at their own risk. C. Whenever construction, repair, or maintenance of any street, utility line or any other facility is being performed at or near a place where vehicles travel, the City personnel, contractor, or utility company concerned shall erect, or cause to be erected, traffic control devices to warn and guide the public. Every person using the street shall obey all signs, signals, markings, flag persons, or other traffic control devices which are placed to regulate, control, and guide traffic through the construc- tion or maintenance area. "Construction or maintenance area" means any area upon or around any street or alley that is visibly marked as an area where street or utility construction, repair or main- tenance is temporarily occurring, and where workers engaged in the construction, maintenance or repair may be present. The construction area also includes the lanes of a street leading up to the area where construction, repair or maintenance is occurring, starting at the point where properly posted traffic control devices begin to warn and guide the public into and through the construction area, including, but not limited to, instructions to merge from one lane into another lane, to reduce speed or to follow the directions given by flag persons. D. The maximum speed a vehicle may be driven in a construction area shall be plainly posted in the construction area. Violation of the posted speed limit in the repair, maintenance or construction area, or violation of any other provision within this ordinance, shall result in the doubling of the appropri- ate fine. (State Law Reference: 47 O.S. 11 -1302 - Maintenance and Construction Zones; 47 O.S. 11 -806 - Special Speed Limitations.) SECTION THREE (3): REPEALER All ordinances, or parts of ordinances, in conflict with this amended ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of the conflict only. SECTION FOUR (4): SEVERABILITY If any part or parts of this ordinance are deemed unconstitutional, invalid or ineffective, the remain- ing portion shall not be affected but shall remain in full force and effect. SECTION FIVE (5): DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE The provisions of this ordinance shall become effective thirty (30) days from the date of final pas- sage as provided by state law. SECTION SIX (6): CODIFICATION The City of Owasso Code of Ordinances is hereby amended by amending an existing ordinance cod - died in Part 15, Chapter 2, as Section 15 -210. PASSED by the City Council of the City of Owasso, Oklahoma on the 19th day of June, 2007. ATTEST: /s/Sherry Bishop, City Clerk (SEAL) APPROVED as to form: /s/ Julie Lombardi, City Attorney /s/ Stephen Cataudella, Mayor MEMORANDUM TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL CITY OF OWASSO FROM: JULIE TROUT LOMBARDI CITY ATTORNEY AND GENERAL COUNSEL DAN YANCEY CHIEF OF POLICE SUBJECT: ORDINANCE NO. 896 - RELATING TO FINES FOR SPEEDING IN A CONSTRUCTION WORK ZONE DATE: June 12, 2007 BACKGROUND The Owasso Police Department, as well as the Public Works department and contractor crews hired by the City, are experiencing increasing difficulty ensuring the safety of workers performing maintenance, repair and construction tasks in construction area work zones. A construction or maintenance work zone is defined within the Oklahoma statutes as a place where street or utility construction, repair or maintenance is in progress and where workers are present. Although these construction, maintenance and repair zones are clearly marked with traffic control devices and reduced speed limits are plainly posted, motorists habitually speed through these work zones, fail to obey the traffic control devices and disregard the directions and instructions of flag persons posted at the construction site to guide traffic. As a result, worker safety in these areas is severely compromised. In 2001, the State of Oklahoma enacted a statute addressing this problem which doubled the fines assessed against motorists guilty of speeding in construction areas and /or disobeying other traffic control devices in a work zone. Since that time, numerous municipalities have followed suit and enacted ordinances mirroring the state statute. Adoption of such a municipal ordinance allows speeding and other vehicular violations occurring in construction work zones to continue to be prosecuted in our municipal court while providing some "teeth" to the penalty by doubling the applicable fine assessed against the offender. Staff believes this strengthened penalty will effectively act as a deterrent to motorists who speed or commit other moving violations within a construction zone. The proposed amendments to Section 15 -210 in this ordinance are substantially taken from two state statutes addressing the issue of speed limitations and other motorist violations in construction work zones, ( 47 O.S. §11 -1302; 47 O.S. §11 -806). This ordinance defines a construction or maintenance work zone and provides that fines shall be doubled for speeding violations and other violations of the ordinance. In connection with that penalty, the ordinance requires that the applicable speed limit shall be posted in all construction areas. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends Council adoption of Ordinance No. 896 amending Section 15 -210 of the Owasso Code of Ordinances which increases the fines for speeding in a work construction zone. ATTACHMENT Ordinance No. 896 - Maintenance and Construction Zones, Section 15 -210