Local Laws ’94 : A Guide to New Legislation in L.A. County

Smokers are out and animals are in as Los Angeles County enters a new year. Anti-smoking measures wafted across the county landscape this year, while creatures from potbellied pigs to whales found the favor of lawmakers. Here is a sampling of laws enacted in 1994.

Los Angeles

Artwork--Officials imposed a moratorium on placement of artwork in MacArthur Park, saying it is cluttered with more than 25 statues, plaques, murals and fountains in dire need of repair. The ban will last until the park’s existing art work is restored.

Chimneys--After thousands of Angelenos lost brick chimneys in the Jan. 17 earthquake, officials began requiring homeowners to hire an engineer to design a method of anchoring the chimney to the house’s frame and use steel reinforcement. Stricter construction reviews for outdoor brick walls also were imposed.

Conservation--Residents can now use recycled water from bathtubs, sinks and washing machines for landscaping irrigation if they install a filtration system. Such systems can cost from several hundred dollars to $5,000.

Coyotes--Animal regulation officers began charging residents a $200 fee to set coyote traps, but only after homeowners meet certain conditions, such as putting up fences to deter coyote intrusion, notifying residents within 300 yards that trapping will occur and signing a waiver freeing the city from liability.

Emergency lighting--Spurred by power outages after the Northridge quake, the city required owners of residential buildings with more than five units to install battery-powered emergency lights to help tenants get out during emergencies. Owners of existing buildings have up to five years to comply.

Golf--The city increased its golf fees from $15 to $16 a round during the week and $19.50 to $20.50 on weekends.

Shut-off valves--As a result of the nearly 17,000 gas leaks that were caused by the earthquake, all new residential, commercial, industrial and government buildings must have valves that automatically shut off main gas lines during a temblor.

Smoking--Smoking was prohibited in all city-owned buildings. Other facilities owned and leased by the city previously were covered under an ordinance that restricted but did not bar smoking in public and private workplaces. The new law imposes a total ban in those facilities.

Tenants--Under an ordinance designed to prevent landlords from using quake damage to force out tenants in favor of new ones paying higher rent, the original tenants must receive first priority to reoccupy buildings damaged in quakes after repairs are made.

Street vendors--The city created eight areas where street vendors will be allowed to sell their wares. But red tape and infighting between the vendors have caused months of delay, and no legal districts have yet been set up.

L.A. County

Day laborers--The county made curbside job-seeking in unincorporated areas a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine or both.

Garage sales--Residents of unincorporated areas are now allowed only two garage sales a year, with each sale not to exceed three consecutive days. Sale hours are limited to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Graffiti--Business permit holders must promise to clean up graffiti on their premises or their licenses will not be renewed.

Arcadia

Sidewalk dining--The city code was changed to allow sidewalk dining outside restaurants that obtain a permit.

Single-family homes--An ordinance was amended to prohibit construction of houses with more than two floors, even if one is subterranean.

Azusa

Juveniles--Parents can now be billed for personnel costs involved in the detention, processing and supervision of juvenile offenders.

Bellflower

Curfew breakers--An ordinance now allows the city to sue parents whose children repeatedly violate a 10 p.m. curfew and other laws. The city may seek up to $2,500 from parents of chronic offenders.

Beverly Hills

Cigarettes--Beverly Hills joined Santa Monica and 98 other cites nationwide in eliminating cigarette vending machines at stores, restaurants, bars and hotels.

Claremont

Parks--A permit system was established giving Claremont residents priority to use parks and requiring large parties of non-residents to pay a reservation fee for certain park sites.

Covina

Graffiti--The city enacted an ordinance calling for the fining of graffiti writers and, if they are minors, their parents.

Culver City

Graffiti--Convicted taggers face suspension of their driver’s licenses and fines of up to $50,000, a year in jail and up to four days of community service. Responsibility for paying fines will fall to the parents of minors, and those unable to pay could face the same community service time as their children. Also under the ordinance, owners whose property has been cleaned up by the city more than four times must voluntarily clean up markings or pay the city to do it.

Gardena

Massage parlors--The city ordered a moratorium until July 12 on new massage parlors. Nine parlors exist in the city.

Card clubs--The city’s two card clubs, the El Dorado and Normandie, each were permitted to double their playing tables to 250.

Development--Ten acres at Artesia Boulevard and Vermont Avenue were zoned for the development of a controversial Smith’s Food & Drug Center adjacent to a freshwater wetland known as the Willows.

Swap meet--Complaints from residents prompted the city to adopt an ordinance banning all swap meets. The Vermont Drive-In and Swap Meet, set up in the mid-1960s, will be phased out over the next three years.

Hawthorne

Street vendors--A rising number of complaints about illegal street vendors spurred an ordinance prohibiting solicitation on public sidewalks. Nonprofit organizations may apply for an exemption.

Adult businesses--An ordinance was passed limiting the operation of adult businesses. The city’s rules were too vague, city officials said.

Inglewood

Curfew--In response to an increase in juvenile crime, city officials raised the age of youths subject to a 10 p.m. curfew from under 16 to under 18.

Lancaster

Potbellied pigs--A city ordinance was passed making it legal for a household to keep one potbellied pig as a pet in a residential zone.

Long Beach

Smoking--Lighting up was banned in restaurants, coffeehouses, bowling alleys, eateries, workplaces, hair salons and business offices. Violators face fines of up to $50. Smoking is permitted in a third of the seating areas of bars with their own ventilation systems and in a third of the outdoor seating areas of restaurants.

Adult businesses--Restrictions on adult businesses were eased after court decisions called into question aspects of an existing ordinance. The city agreed to allow topless bars and other adult establishments in more areas and to allow them to operate closer to homes, churches and parks. Judges in two separate lawsuits said the original law failed to provide enough suitable commercial areas for adult entertainment.

Boating--City marine patrol officers were granted authority to arrest boaters for criminal activities. The 11 patrol officers previously had been empowered only to cite boaters for infractions such as speeding and improper loading. Now they can detain people for boating under the influence of alcohol and other criminal offenses. They still are not allowed to carry firearms.

Skating--Skateboarding and roller-skating were banned in the Long Beach Convention Center, Civic Center Plaza, Lincoln Park and the Promenade. City officials said that skaters had caused minor damage around the remodeled convention center and that they were concerned that pedestrians might be injured.

Malibu

Whaling--Two years ago, Malibu declared local shores a “human-dolphin shared environment.” This year, the City Council named cetaceans a “living cultural resource.” The measure was part of an effort to lobby the International Whaling Commission to extend a moratorium on whaling.

Monrovia

Truancy--In the hope of keeping students in school and stopping them from engaging in serious crime, the city enacted an ordinance allowing police to cite students 12 to 17 years old caught unsupervised from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. If ticketed, the student must appear with a parent or legal guardian in Juvenile Traffic Court. Failure to do so can result in suspension of a youth’s driver’s license and issuance of an arrest warrant.

Montebello

Scavengers--The city passed a law banning people from taking plastic items, glass, cans and newspapers from recycling containers. The city gets revenue by selling the recyclable trash.

Rancho Palos Verdes

Nude beaches--Responding to complaints about one of the last nude beaches in Southern California, the city banned public nudity. Nudists had scared away other beach-goers and had trashed an area known both as Smuggler’s Cove and Sacred Beach.

Redondo Beach

Guns--A proposed amendment to the City Charter will be put on the March, 1995, city election ballot that would advise the Legislature to ease restrictions on concealed-weapon permits. The city wants law-abiding citizens who can pass a firearms safety course to be able to carry concealed weapons.

San Dimas

Horse-drawn carriages--After a hayride driver applied to do business in the city and found there were no provisions for such an operation, the City Council approved a permit for the endeavor.

Santa Fe Springs

Fortunetellers--The City Council banned fortunetelling, at least temporarily, after a Whittier resident sought to open a fortuneteller business in the city. The moratorium is in effect until July to give the city time to study the issue.

Santa Clarita

Smoking--A ordinance bans smoking in all public buildings except restaurants and bars.

Santa Monica

Smoking--The City Council passed a tough ban on smoking in indoor locations--even bars--but the measure might be snuffed out before it takes effect next month. Approved before newly elected council members took office, the ban has drawn heavy opposition from restaurant and bar owners and is expected to be reconsidered.

Dogs--For the first time in more than 50 years, Santa Monica decided to allow leashed dogs in all city parks. Dogs are also allowed to run free in designated areas of two parks--Joslyn and Marine--during specified morning hours.

Temple City

Graffiti--In response to the problem of youths who repeatedly vandalize private homes and businesses, the city decided to force parents and guardians to pay up to $2,500 if their child disregards the instructions of a police officer after a daily 10 p.m. city curfew.

Torrance

Animals--The City Council enacted an ordinance requiring anyone with more than three animals of one kind to pay an $80 fee for the fourth. The ordinance also prohibits more than four animals of any kind in Torrance homes.

City property--The council gave the city manager permission to sell surplus city property. Any item valued at less than $1,000 may be sold to anyone except city employees. The city is still studying whether to open its own store to sell such items.

West Covina

Juveniles--The City Council passed an ordinance allowing the Police Department to charge parents for personnel costs involved in the detention, processing and supervision of juvenile offenders.

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Compiled by Times staff writers Cecilia Rasmussen, Steve Padilla and Duke Helfand and by correspondents James Benning, Susan Steinberg and Deborah Sullivan.