Local Laws ’95 : A Guide to New Legislation in Los Angeles County

Restrictions on bullet sales were tightened in some cities but loosened in one in 1995. Some local lawmakers joined forces with school officials, approving laws that crack down on students who skip school. A sampling of laws enacted in 1995:

Los Angeles

Alarms--Hoping to reduce the number of false alarms that police must answer, an $80 fine will be levied against owners of security alarm systems that generate more than four false alarms in a 12-month period. The new law--enacted on a one-year trial basis--imposes the fine after the second false call. In addition, owners of security alarms not registered with the Police Department can be charged with a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or a year in jail, after the first false alarm.

Scavenging--Cracking down on thefts from curbside recycling bins, the city stepped up enforcement of its anti-scavenging law by setting aside funds to hire more police and reserve officers to work overtime to curb scavenging in targeted areas. Theft of recyclables costs the city an estimated $25,000 a month.

Truancy--Aimed at reducing the city’s soaring school dropout rate and cutting juvenile crime, a new law authorizes city police officers to cite truants. They will have to appear in traffic court with a parent or guardian and could face fines of up to $50 and community service. Repeat offenders could have their driver’s licenses suspended. The law makes it illegal for any student under age 18 to loiter on school days from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Bullets--A new law requires gun dealers to keep detailed records on the brand, type and amount of handgun ammunition they sell. Buyers are required to present identification and provide personal information. The law is modeled after a Pasadena ordinance aimed at controlling gun violence.

Firearms sales--As a means of recouping the costs of fighting gun-related crime, the sale of firearms and ammunition will be taxed at the highest business tax permit rate, $5.91 per $1,000 in sales. Previously, gun and ammunition sellers were taxed at the retail sales rate of $1.48 per $1,000.

Service workers--The city approved a measure to help service workers keep their jobs when city contracts worth more than $5,000 change hands. The law requires a new contractor to retain for at least 90 days the employees who have worked for the old contractor, unless there is a reason to fire them. The ordinance stems from a controversy generated last spring when concessions at Los Angeles International Airport changed hands and 300 workers received pink slips.

Smoking--Closing the last refuge for travelers who want to light up, the city banned smoking at bars in Los Angeles International Airport. Indoor smoking at LAX is allowed only at a designated area in the Tom Bradley International Terminal lounge.

Tax breaks--About 12,000 businesses in economically depressed areas are eligible for business tax reductions or exemptions under a law aimed at stimulating the economy in a 20-square-mile zone that includes Watts, Pacoima and parts of Lincoln Heights. The costs and benefits of the program will be evaluated after one year.

Vendors--A vending district, designed to make vending attractive and organized, has been set up along Alvarado and 7th streets, where licensed pushcart owners are allowed to sell food, flowers and crafts from carts regulated by health inspectors.

Los Angeles County

Horse-tripping--A law bans the act of horse-tripping, one of the traditional features of the charreada, or Mexican rodeo. The law states that “no person shall intentionally trip or fell any equine animal by the legs or by any means whatsoever for the purpose of entertainment or sport.”

Junkers--To ensure that Marina del Rey, the nation’s largest small-craft recreational harbor, is used for its original purpose and not as a haven for cheap housing, a new law requires about 600 boat owners--10% of the total in the county-owned marina--to make their vessels seaworthy.

Jury summonses--The penalty-free ride for ducking jury duty is over. Under a tougher new policy, potential jurors who fail to respond to summonses will first face a hearing and then a $1,500 fine.

Marriage licenses--Marriage license fees rose to $69 and the cost of marriage ceremonies performed at the county registrar-recorder’s office increased to $25.

Pornography--Adult-oriented businesses are prohibited within 250 feet of residences and within 500 feet of schools or parks. The law also requires such businesses to hire security guards and screen their interiors from public view.

Taxes--Homeowners in unincorporated areas will pay at least $41 a year under a new benefit assessment to avert threatened closures of fire stations in Malibu and other areas and to keep libraries open. The county also approved a 2% tax for tickets to Magic Mountain and Universal Studios, while hotel taxes increased to 14%.

Azusa

Ammunition--Seven months after adopting an ordinance requiring the registration of bullet sales, the city rescinded the law, saying it had not helped reduce crime. A separate ordinance banning ammunition sales during the weeks before New Year’s Day, Cinco de Mayo and the Fourth of July remains in effect.

Bell

Fortunetelling--A new ordinance recognizes fortunetelling as a permitted business in commercial areas. Owners of such businesses must obtain a city license.

Beverly Hills

Fliers--Hoping to stop the proliferation of handbills and fliers, the city passed a law to give Beverly Hills residents the ability to stop the door-to-door delivery of junk mail. The law requires that advertisers buy a list of residents’ addresses from the city before handing out any fliers. Any resident who wants to stop the handouts left on their doorsteps and porches can request that their name and address be removed from the list. The law does not prohibit the delivery of federal mail, newspapers or religious and political fliers.

Burbank

Restaurants--The City Council, in response to several instances of violence involving teenagers hanging out at one restaurant, banned 24-hour fast-food restaurants with drive-through service windows. The law was contested unsuccessfully by owners of a Tommy’s hamburger stand and a Taco Bell, which are now required to close at midnight.

Taxis--In the hope of eliminating bootleg taxicabs, the city adopted an ordinance requiring all taxis to bear a city license sticker and all taxi drivers to wear a uniform and an identification badge. The law provides stiff penalties for taxi companies that do not meet city standards for vehicle maintenance and insurance.

Curfew--A “daytime curfew” ordinance makes it a misdemeanor for any school-age child to loiter during school hours, and gives police the power to arrest and cite children who loiter.

City of Commerce

Residential property--Seeking to keep up appearances in its neighborhoods, the city approved a program to lend lawn mowers, trimmers and other equipment to residents to enable them to groom their lawns.

Culver City

Public art--One ordinance provides a new way for developers to make required contributions to the city’s public art fund. Instead of donating dollars, developers may count the cost of a project’s architecture as a contribution to the fund. The change prompted complaints from some local artists, who fear that developers will use the law to qualify their buildings’ architecture as art and avoid contributing to the fund.

Downey

Pigeons--An ordinance now allows residents to keep up to 100 homing and racing pigeons on their property. Until last March, residents were limited to five such pigeons.

Hermosa Beach

Barking dogs--If dogs are found barking for more than five minutes per hour without the owner being present, the owner will be assessed a fine of $100. Fines increase for each subsequent five-minute period of uninterrupted barking.

La Mirada

Juveniles--Parents are now responsible for paying sheriff’s deputies by the hour for returning home children under 18 who are caught out past the city’s 10 p.m. curfew for minors. Truant students now face fines of up to $675 if they are found out of school between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Lawndale

Loitering--Prompted by complaints of homeless people sleeping at the Civic Center and in commercial areas, the city passed an “anti-camping” ordinance that bars loitering, use of tents, sleeping bags and temporary shelters and storing personal belongings on public property. Fines range from $50 to $250. After four offenses, cases go to the city attorney for prosecution.

Shopping carts--The city declared abandoned shopping carts a public nuisance and outlawed removing the carts from the businesses that own them. The city also made it illegal to possess a pilfered cart.

Malibu

Ridgelines--For purposes of the city’s General Plan, Malibu has defined a ridgeline as a hill or ridge that forms a distinct part of the skyline when viewed from a public street or highway. A ridgeline is seen as a distinct and prominent edge against a backdrop of land at least 500 feet behind it.

Rewards--Responding to the murder of a Malibu resident who was slain while she was in her home, the city passed an ordinance establishing a special reward fund to help law enforcement officials find suspects. Informants can be paid up to $5,000 for information leading to arrests.

Maywood

Laundry--Hanging laundry and other clothing in a public right-of-way is now illegal, and the city may ticket violators and take them to court.

Palos Verdes Estates

Planes--The city approved an ordinance limiting where modelplane enthusiasts can fly their crafts. Nearly 40 model plane enthusiasts who launch their gliders off Bluff Cove--to the dismay of residents--signed an agreement included in the ordinance that they would keep their planes at least 100 feet away from dwellings.

Pomona

Historic buildings--Seeking to preserve the city’s past, the council approved a set of ordinances to protect historic buildings. Pomona has more than 2,700 historically significant homes and buildings, nearly a third of which are in the Lincoln Park area. One new law creates a Historic Advisory Commission, while another establishes a process for reviewing changes to such buildings.

Santa Fe Springs

Palm readers--Tarot card and palm readers must submit to personal background checks by city staff under a new ordinance. The law allows the establishment of such businesses in the city, but restricts them to commercial areas.

Santa Monica

Smoking--Repealing major provisions of a stringent 1994 anti-smoking ordinance, the city now allows smokers to light up in bars, hotel lobbies and banquet and meeting rooms. The council amended the stricter law when faced with complaints from business owners that the anti-smoking regulations prompt smokers to patronize businesses outside Santa Monica.

Bullets--In an effort to curb gun violence, the city now regulates the sale of ammunition. The ordinance requires ammunition vendors to register all bullet sales with the buyer’s name and address, together with the type and amount of bullets purchased.

South Pasadena

Noisy animals--Police will now be able to go after dog owners if three neighbors complaining about barking.