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5.120.030 Operating Requirements.

1. Operating in the Public Rights-of-Way. The licensee shall follow its approved valet route plans. The licensee shall at no time, unless expressly stated on the license, commit or do any of the following acts:

(a) Receive, take possession of (for the purpose of parking or temporary storage until the return of the same to the patron or guest), or move a patron’s or guest’s vehicle upon any portion of the public right-of-way or other public property; or

(b) Park and leave standing any patron’s or guest’s vehicle upon any portion of a public right-of-way or other public property (including any publicly owned off-street parking space).

2. Parking on Private Property. It shall be unlawful for any operator to park any patron’s or guest’s vehicle upon private property without express authorization by the owner or other person in charge of such private property.

3. Parking Lot Attendants. The licensee shall employ parking lot attendants sufficient in number to park vehicles so that traffic on highways or sidewalks or both will not be impeded by the activities of the licensee.

4. Locking of Vehicles. Except where a patron or guest parks his or her own vehicle, the attendant parking a vehicle shall lock the ignition and the vehicle, remove the key and place the key in a safe place. The attendant shall not place the key in or upon the vehicle parked.

5. Sign Requirements.

(a) Each licensee shall install and maintain, at each location at which a patron or guest surrenders his or her vehicle for parking, a sign plainly visible from the street with letters and numerals in contrasting colors, showing the licensee’s name, the address and telephone number of the business, the time when the licensee is no longer on duty, and the parking fees, if any. If fees are charged, such fees also shall be stated as follows:

(1) Rates per hour;

(2) Rates per fraction of an hour, if any;

(3) Rates for subsequent hours or fractions thereof; and

(4) The maximum charge;

(5) The numbers and lettering used in subsections (5)(a)(1) through (4) shall be no less than six inches in height and shall be of uniform size and font.

(b) All fractions of time must be spelled out in letters.

(1) Each licensee is permitted to place one freestanding portable sign on the sidewalk at each parking lot entrance under the following conditions:

(i) The sign shall be limited to ten square feet in area and the top of the sign shall be no higher than five feet above the grade of the public right-of-way.

(ii) All numbers and lettering that refer to the parking rates charged shall be of uniform size and font.

(iii) Signs shall not cause hazard to pedestrian movement or be placed in a manner that obscures the view of vehicles entering or exiting the parking lot.

(iv) Prior to placing a temporary valet sign on the public right-of-way, the licensee shall first obtain an encroachment permit from the office of the City Engineer which:

(A) Specifies the precise location where the sign shall be placed;

(B) Indemnifies the city from any claims resulting from the placement of the sign.

(2) It is unlawful for any valet sign to be placed on the PROW that has any flashing, blinking, revolving, scrolling, or similar lighting effect affixed to it.

(3) The sign shall be used solely for directing the public to parking facilities which are located within the City of West Hollywood.

(e) No signs shall be posted, pursuant to this section, which would be in violation of Chapter 19.34 of the West Hollywood Municipal Code.

6. Rate Restrictions. The operator of a valet parking service shall not charge any higher rates for parking than those rates posted.

7. Closing Time. At each closing time, the licensee shall lock or cause to be locked each vehicle, except those locked by the person bringing the vehicle to the valet parking service, if a key is available, and shall deposit or cause to be deposited such key with a responsible person at a safe and convenient place, to be delivered to the person who parked the vehicle upon surrender of the parking ticket if one was given to such person, or otherwise upon proof that such person has the right to possess the vehicle.

8. Parking Longer Than Forty-Eight Hours – Notice to Sheriff. The licensee, or agents and employees, shall notify the Sheriff whenever a vehicle has been left in his or her custody for a period in excess of forty-eight hours without a prior contractual arrangement for such period of time in order to determine whether the vehicle is stolen or abandoned.

9. Employee Identification. The licensee and all employees of the licensee who drive patrons’ or guests’ vehicles or who handle keys belonging to patrons or guests shall each have an appropriate current and valid California driver’s license. Every person required to have a driver’s license pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall produce and exhibit the license when requested by any city official authorized to issue, inspect or collect permit and license fees, or authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter or of the City of West Hollywood Municipal Code.

10. Business License Renewal. At the time of renewal of the license, the licensee shall submit to the Business License Officer a current copy of its liability insurance policy and a route plan which has been approved by the Transportation Division within the previous six months.

(Ord. 12-887 § 1, 2012; Ord. 90-269 § 1, 1990; prior code § 6369(c))