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Editor's Note: The Santa Clarita Municipal Code, as compiled, edited and published by Book Publishing Company of Seattle, Washington, including Titles 16 and 17 known as the "Unified Development Code," was republished, and adopted by Ordinance 99-5, 1/26/99.
The City Council finds that it is desirable and in the public interest to establish a municipal code in order to provide a scheme of organization for the classification and grouping of ordinances which the Council may adopt. The Council intends in adopting ordinances of a general and permanent nature to provide for their placement in accordance with the scheme of the code. This will provide the user with a convenient and logical compilation of the ordinances of the City.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
This code shall be known as the "Santa Clarita Municipal Code." It shall be sufficient to refer to this code as the Santa Clarita Municipal Code in any prosecution for the violation of any provision of this code. It shall also be sufficient to designate any ordinance adding to, amending, or repealing provisions of this code as an addition or amendment to, or a repeal of, the Santa Clarita Municipal Code, or a portion thereof.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
The Santa Clarita Municipal Code shall consist of all ordinances adopted by the City Council which are of a general and permanent nature. An ordinance relating to any of the following subject matters is not considered an ordinance of general and permanent nature and need not be included within the municipal code:
A. 
The naming of streets or roads;
B. 
Granting, altering, or withdrawing franchises;
C. 
Levying real property tax;
D. 
Calling an election;
E. 
Annexation proceedings;
F. 
Interim zoning measure;
G. 
Zoning or rezoning a particular parcel of property; and
H. 
Such other ordinances of a special or particular subject matter which the Council considers are not appropriate to a general compilation of laws of a general and permanent nature.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
A. 
The ordinances of the City which are of a general and permanent nature shall be organized and grouped according to the subject matter.
B. 
Ordinances which are adopted from time to time shall be classified and organized under the following scheme of titles:
1. 
General Provisions
2. 
Administration and Personnel
3. 
Revenue and Finance
4. 
Franchises
5. 
Business Licenses
6. 
Consumer Protection
7. 
Political Reform
8. 
Animals
9. 
Health and Safety
10. 
Environmental Protection
11. 
Public Peace and Welfare
12. 
Vehicles and Traffic
13. 
Highways
14. 
Parks and Other Public Places
15. 
Utilities
16. 
Subdivisions
17. 
Zoning
18. 
City Building Code
19. 
City Electrical Code
20. 
City Plumbing Code
21. 
City Mechanical Code
22. 
City Fire Code and City Wildland-Urban Interface Code
23. 
Neighborhood Preservation
24. 
City Energy Conservation Code
25. 
City Green Building Standards Code
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 91-14, 3/13/1991; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
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Editor's note: This section has been editorially amended to reflect Ordinance 04-7's addition of Title 23, Neighborhood Preservation, Ordinance 13-12's repeal and replacement of Titles 18 through 22, 24 and 25, and Ordinance 25-5's repeal and replacement of Title 22.
At least three (3) copies of this code, duly certified by the City Clerk, shall be maintained on file in the office of the City Clerk as official copies of this code. Additional copies of this code shall be distributed to the departments of the City as shall be prescribed by the City Manager.
Duly certified copies of each ordinance making a change in this code shall be filed in the office of the City Clerk in books for such purpose, duly indexed for ready reference.
At least semi-annually the City Clerk shall cause the loose leaf pages of this code in which changes have been made to be reproduced, including a notation as to the ordinance number and the date pursuant to which such change is adopted. Such reprinted pages shall be distributed in order that the loose leaf copies of this code prepared for the use and convenience of the officers and employees of the City and the general public may be brought up to date.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
The provisions of this code and all proceedings under it are to be construed to effect its objects and to promote justice.
All the provisions of this code and all other City ordinances shall be interpreted to refer to the appropriate or designated officer or office of the City, and whether an ordinance, uniform code, statute, or other matter which is adopted by reference refers to any department, officer, employee, inspection, police, or other functions, unless the context requires otherwise, all references shall be to the appropriate or designated office, officer, department, agency, employee, or function of the City, or to the person or agency performing the function for the City.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
Neither the adoption of this code, nor the repeal by this code of any ordinance previously in effect in the City or within the territory currently comprising the City, shall in any manner affect the prosecution for the violation of any ordinance, which violation was committed prior to the effective date of this code, nor be construed as a waiver of any license or penalty on such effective date due and unpaid under such ordinances, nor be construed as affecting any of the provisions of such ordinances relating to the collection of any such license or penalty or the penal provisions applicable to any violation of such ordinances, nor to affect the validity of any bond or cash deposit required to be posted, filed, or deposited pursuant to any ordinances, and all vested rights and obligations pertaining to such ordinances shall continue in full force and effect.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
If any chapter, section, sentence, clause or portion of this code is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct and independent provision and such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions thereof.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
This code shall refer only to the omission or commission of acts within the territorial limits of the City of Santa Clarita and that territory outside of the City over which the City has jurisdiction or control by virtue of the Constitution, or any law, or by reason of ownership or control of property.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
All references in this code to places, acts, persons or things and all else in relation to this code shall be construed to mean that the same are applicable to this City, whether the City is mentioned in each particular section or not.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
Unless the provisions of this code otherwise specifically provide, or the context of this code indicates to the contrary, the general provisions, rules of construction, and definitions set forth in the following sections of this chapter shall govern the construction of this code.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
The title, chapter, article, and section headings contained in this code shall not be deemed to govern, limit, modify, or in any manner affect the scope, meaning, or intent of the provisions of any title, chapter, article, or section of this code.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
"Section" shall mean a section of this code, unless some other source is specifically set forth. "Subsection" shall mean a subsection of the section in which the term occurs, unless some other section is expressly set forth.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
Whenever a power is granted to, or a duty is imposed upon, a public officer or employee, the power may be exercised or the duty may be performed by a deputy of such officer or employee or by a person otherwise duly authorized pursuant to law or ordinance, unless this code expressly provides otherwise.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
"Writing" includes any form of recorded message capable of comprehension by ordinary visual means. Whenever any notice, report, statement, or record is required or authorized by this code, such notice, report, statement, or record shall be made in writing in the English language, unless this code expressly provides otherwise.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
Whenever any reference in this code is made to an ordinance, the reference shall apply to such ordinance of the City, unless this code expressly provides otherwise. Whenever any reference is made to any portion of this code or to any ordinances of this City, the reference shall apply to all amendments and additions to this code.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
When a limitation or period of time prescribed in any existing ordinance or statute for acquiring a right to barring a remedy, or for any other purpose, has begun to run before this code goes into effect, the time which has already run shall be deemed a part of the time prescribed as such limitation.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
As used in this code, unless a different meaning is apparent from the context or is specified elsewhere in the code:
"Calendar year"
shall mean from January 1st through December 31st of any given year.
"City"
shall mean the City of Santa Clarita.
"City Manager"
shall mean the appointed official of the City who occupies the position as chief administrative officer of the City.
"Council"
shall mean the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita.
"Councilmember"
shall mean a person duly elected to the Council.
"County"
shall mean the County of Los Angeles.
"Fiscal year"
shall mean from July 1st of any given year through June 30th of the following year.
Gender.
The masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders.
"Goods"
shall mean and include wares and merchandise.
"May"
shall be permissive.
"Month"
shall mean a calendar month, unless otherwise specially expressed.
Number.
The singular number shall include the plural, and the plural number shall include the singular.
"Oath"
shall include affirmation.
Official Time Standard.
Wherever certain hours are named in this code, they shall mean standard time or daylight savings time as may be in current use in the city.
"Operate"
shall mean and include carrying on, keeping, conducting, or maintaining.
"Owner"
shall be applied to a building or land, and shall include any part owner, joint owner, tenant, tenant in common, or joint tenant of the whole or a part of such building or land.
"Person"
shall include any person, firm, company, corporation, partnership, association, public corporation, political subdivisions, city (except the City of Santa Clarita), the County of Los Angeles, any district in the County of Los Angeles, the State of California, or the United States of America, or any department or agency of any thereof, unless this code expressly provides otherwise.
"Personal property"
shall include money, goods, chattels, things in action, and evidences of debts.
"Police," "Police Chief" or "Chief of Police"
shall mean the agency which performs the appropriate law enforcement function for the City, and the head of the agency or division thereof which at the time involved has responsibility for performing the police function for, or within, the City.
"Property"
shall include real and personal property.
"Quarterly"
designates a period of time, and shall mean the first three (3) calendar months of any given year or succeeding period of three (3) calendar months.
"Real property"
shall include land, tenements, and hereditaments.
"Sale"
shall include any sale, exchange, barter, or offer for sale.
"Shall"
shall be mandatory.
"State"
shall mean the State of California.
"Street"
shall include all streets, highways, avenues, boulevards, alleys, courts, places, squares, or other public ways in the City which have been or may hereafter be dedicated and open to public use, or such other public property so designated in any law of the State.
"Tenant or occupant,"
applied to a building or land, shall include any person who occupies the whole or a part of such building or land, whether alone or with others.
Tense.
The present tense shall include the past and future tense, and the future tense shall include the present tense.
Words and phrases not defined in this code are construed according to the approved usage of the language, or, when appropriate, by reference to definitions contained in State or Federal law.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013)
Whenever in this code any act or omission is made unlawful, it shall include causing, permitting, aiding, abetting, suffering, or concealing the fact of such act or omission.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013; Formerly 1.01.210)
A. 
In addition to other penalties provided by law, any condition caused or permitted to exist in violation of any provision of this code, or any such threatened violation, shall be deemed a public nuisance and may be summarily abated as such by the City.
B. 
Also, any such violation or threatened violation as referred to in subsection (A) of this section, or any condition caused or permitted to exist in violation of any of the provisions of any code adopted by reference by this code, or of the provisions of any other City ordinance, shall be deemed a public nuisance which may be abated by the City Attorney in a civil judicial action.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013; Formerly 1.01.250)
A. 
Whenever any person creating, causing, committing, or maintaining a public nuisance, as referred to in Section 1.01.210, or other public nuisance, as defined under State law or other ordinance of regulation, has been given notice, by or on behalf of the City Attorney or by any other City officer, employee or policing agent authorized to give such notice, to abate such nuisance or cease and desist from continuing such nuisance or violation of law, and such person who was given notice fails, refuses, or neglects to comply with the notice within the time specified therein, or if such a time is not specified, then within a time reasonably sufficient to enable such compliance, such noncomplying person may be liable to the City for any and all costs and expenses to the City involved in thereafter abating the nuisance and in obtaining compliance with or enforcing the law as referred to or encompassed in the said notice.
B. 
Costs and expenses, as referred to in subsection (A) of this section, may include, but are not limited to, any and all direct costs and expenses related to such things as personnel salaries and benefits, operational overhead, rent, interest, fees for experts or consultants, legal costs or expenses, including attorneys' fees, claims against the City arising as a consequence of the nuisance or violation, and procedures associated with collecting moneys due hereunder.
C. 
The provisions of subsection (A) of this section shall also apply to any person who received a notice, as specified therein, and thereafter the nuisance or violation was abated, but such person subsequently allowed or was responsible for a recurrence of the nuisance or violation.
D. 
Pursuant to Government Code Section 38773.5, in any action, administrative proceeding, or special proceeding brought to abate a public nuisance, the prevailing party will be entitled to recover attorneys' fees; provided, that attorneys' fees will only be available in those actions or proceedings in which the City has provided notice at the commencement of such action or proceeding that it intends to seek and recover its own attorneys' fees. In no action or proceeding shall an award of attorneys' fees exceed the amount of reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the City in the action or proceeding.
E. 
The liability of any person for the payment of the costs and expenses provided for in subsection (A) of this section may be waived in whole or in part by the City Attorney in any case wherein he determines, in his sole discretion, that the failure or refusal of such persons to comply with the notice therein involved was based upon a good faith and bona fide issue of law or fact specifically involved in the circumstances of the case. Any determination or decision of the City Attorney in this regard shall be final and conclusive and shall not be subject to appeal as prescribed in Chapter 2.04.
F. 
Moneys due to the City pursuant to this section may be recovered in an appropriate civil action. Alternatively, such liability may be enforced by special assessment proceedings against the parcel of land upon which the nuisance existed, which proceedings may be conducted in a manner substantively similar to proceedings described in Section 39574 et seq. of the Government Code of the State relating to weed abatement assessments.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 08-1, 2/12/2008; Ord. 08-3 § 1, 3/11/2008; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013; Formerly 1.01.260)
The violation of, or the failure or omission to perform in accordance with, any administrative provision of this code by any officer or employee of the City shall generally not be considered a criminal act, but may be deemed a failure to perform the duties or to observe the rules or regulations of the department, office, commission or board within the meaning of the civil service ordinances and rules and regulations of the City, if applicable.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013; Formerly 1.01.270)
Whenever a notice is required to be given, or may be given, under any provision of this code or any provision of any code adopted by reference by this code or any provision of any ordinance or resolution of the City not included within this code, such notice may be given as herein provided. Unless different or special provisions are otherwise specifically made in this code or in some other applicable enactment, any such notice may be given either by personal delivery thereof to the persons to be notified, or by deposit in the United States mail in a sealed envelope, postage prepaid, addressed to such person to be notified, at the person's last known business address as the same appears in the public records or other records pertaining to the matters to which such notice is directed. Service by mail shall be deemed to have been completed at the time of deposit in the post office or in the official receptacle thereof.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013; Formerly 1.01.300)
Proof of giving any notice may be made by the certificate of any officer or employee of this City or by the affidavit or declaration under penalty of perjury of any person over the age of eighteen (18) years, which shows service in conformity with this code or other provisions of law applicable to the subject matter concerned.
(Ord. 87-2, 12/15/1987; Ord. 13-6 § 2 (Exh. A), 5/28/2013; Formerly 1.01.310)