Public property within the City should be accessible and available
to residents and the public at large. The purpose of this chapter
is to ensure that public streets, public property, including parks,
plazas, depots, entry areas to public buildings and other publicly
owned areas are clean and readily accessible to the public, and to
prevent the use of any public property for purposes of erecting camp
paraphernalia, storage of personal property or placement of personal
items on public property which creates health, safety or welfare dangers.
(12-03)
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter,
shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where
the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
"Camp"
means to pitch or occupy camp facilities; to use camp paraphernalia.
"Camp facilities"
include, but are not limited to, tents, huts, or temporary
shelters.
"Camp paraphernalia"
includes, but is not limited to, tarpaulins, tents, "easy
up or pop ups," canopies, huts or other temporary physical shelters,
cots, beds, sleeping bags, hammocks, buckets, or cooking facilities
(other than those located in a specified camping area designated by
the City) and similar equipment.
"Lodge"
shall have the meaning ascribed to the term in Section 647(j)
of the California
Penal Code, as it may be amended from time to time,
and shall include (but not be limited to) sleeping or being inside
a sleeping bag.
"Public property"
means any publicly owned property in the City, including
any of the following: public parks, public plazas, depots, public
bike trails, public riverbeds, public alleyways, public parking lots,
public passageways, public entry ways and areas in front of public
buildings, public rights-of-way, publicly owned landscaped areas,
greenbelts, sidewalks, curbs, public educational institutions or any
other government owned properties located within the City.
"Store"
means to put aside or accumulate for use when needed, to
put for safekeeping, or to place and leave in a location.
(12-03)
It is unlawful for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities,
or use camp paraphernalia or to store personal property, including
camp facilities and camp paraphernalia, on any public property within
the City, except as expressly otherwise provided by ordinance, resolution,
order of the City Council or in connection with the issuance of a
special event permit or a City-sponsored event or activity.
(12-03)
This chapter shall not apply to anyone sleeping or camping or
placing, erecting, or maintaining any tents, camp facilities, or camp
paraphernalia in a specified camping area designated by the City.
The City Council may, by resolution, establish one or more specified
camping areas. Such camping areas, if any, may be located on public
property.
(12-03)
Any personal property, including, but not limited to, camp facilities,
camp paraphernalia, bags, carts, luggage carriers, backpacks, cooking
utensils and equipment, sleeping bags, blankets, clothing, signs,
personal paperwork, cans or bottles stored on public property in violation
of this chapter shall immediately be removed from the public property
upon request by any law enforcement official. If an individual does
not comply with such request or if a law enforcement official has
not been successful in identifying the owner of the personal property
after making a reasonable effort to do so, the personal property shall
be confiscated, held and disposed of by the Police Department in accordance
with its policies and laws that apply to abandoned property.
(12-03)
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject to the enforcement provisions of Claremont Municipal Code as set forth in Chapter
1.12 of the Code. The provisions of this chapter shall not be construed as permitting conduct not prescribed herein and shall not affect the enforceability of any other applicable provisions of law.
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