HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 02/18/2003 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 016, 2003, SEPARAT AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 7
FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL DATE: February 18, 2003FROM•
Jeff O'Brien
SUBJECT:
Second Reading of Ordinance No. 016, 2003, Separately Codifying "The Fort Collins Traffic
Code'; Repealing All Conflicting Ordinances; and Making Certain Related Amendments to
Chapter 28 of the City Code.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Ordinance No. 016, 2003, which was adopted 6-0 (Councilmember Kastein was absent) on First
Reading on February 4, 2003, makes certain amendments to Chapter 28 of the City Code.
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 12
FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL DATE: February 4, 2003FROM:
Jeff O'Brien
SUBJECT:
First Reading of Ordinance No. 016, 2003, Separately Codifying "The-Fort Collins Traffic
Code"; Repealing All Conflicting Ordinances; and Making Certain Related Amendments to
Chapter 28 of the City Code.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends adoption oCeOrdice o i t Rea
din
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Background: In 1977, the City of Fort Collins adopted the revised edition of the Model Traffic
Code for Colorado Municipalities, age%nc_docume t- d fined to provide uniformity
throughout the state pertaining to laws govern g e I pv e of vehicles and pedestrians on
streets and highways. The 197- Model�affic o ado gav unicipalities the power to adopt
portions of the Model Traffic ode.whicFl a 'cable t local traffic situation, provided
those laws or ordinances adopted or modified were not in conflict with state law. The 1977
Model Traffic Code mirrored the State of Colorado's C.R.S. Title 42 Statutes for Vehicle and
Traffic Enforcement with the exception of areas pertaining to driver's licenses, vehicle
registration, and alcohol or drug related driving .offenses, as these statutes are enforced and
handled at the county and district court level. The State no longer uses this Model Traffic Code
edition and no other jurisdiction has retained it except Fort Collins. This document has been
used by the City since 1977 with numerous changes and updates as the years passed.
Problem: The 1977 Model T fic o "s g Fecause
e es ct meet the specific needs for
the City of Fort Collins. It i no long rn p ts n been available for over 10 years.
There is a new edition of the odeeVr ',fic dled r release in 2003, but it does not
fully meet the current needs of City of Fort Collin o Its generic nature.
The 1977 Model Traffic Code has been sporadically updated by the City through a series of
amendments contained in the City Code in order to reflect changes made to state laws, as well as
amended to reflect the changing needs of the city regarding the regulation of traffic. Those
changes that have been made require users to research in two separate books for the most
accurate and up-to-date information (the Model Traffic Code itself and the City Code). These
books are not readily available to police officers. In 1998, an internal manual was created for use
by Fort Collins police officers in an effort to consolidate and update all the changes made to the
1977 Model Traffic Code manual. This enabled the agency to provide a usable, if temporary,
enforcement document to its officers.
DATE: ITEM NUMBER:
Solution: In 1998, discussions were undertaken about the feasibility of creating a new Traffic
Code for the City of Fort Collins, making it a stand alone, separately codified document, and
repealing the outdated 1977 Model Traffic Code. A committee consisting of representatives from
the City Attorneys Office, City Municipal Court Violations Bureau, City Police Services, City
Parking Management, City Traffic Engineering, and the Colorado State University Police
Department was initially formed to develop the new manual. After five years and numerous
revisions and input from various affected staff, this new traffic code for the City of Fort Collins
was created. The document is now entitled "Fort Collins Traffic Code" and has been updated to
reflect the most recent changes in the State of Colorado's C.R.S. Title 42 Vehicle and Traffic
Enforcement statutes and to reflect the current and future traffic enforcement needs and issues
specific to the City of Fort Coll' C Ychas*
incorporating s to requi en[ r amerand radarenforcement;
providing for pa melt m kin s i ditige in regards to handicapped
parking;
• updating the enforcement of restrictions on skateboarding, bikes, etc. where
posted on plazas and walkways; and
• clarifying parking and towing ordinances to allow parking services officers,
CSOs in addition to FCPS officers to immobilize vehicles.
• incorporating state rules for traffic control in natural areas and parks.
There is one section of the Tr ode tl.�at wi e ne an unique to Fort Collins which
40�governs the manner in whic neral cessi s nd teed in the City. This section was
drafted to address concerns " d quest' s whh arisen from citizens. This section was
added after input was solicite om u al ct in the . Another section, one relating
to license plates, is a new section from state statutes and allows FCPS to write these violations
into municipal, rather than state, court.
The final version of the Fort Collins Traffic Code has been reviewed and approved by staff from
the various representative agencies within the City of Fort Collins and Colorado State
University. In addition, it has been forwarded to and been granted preliminary by the State of
Colorado Department of Transportation pending final action by this Council.