§ 20-21. Parking for disabled persons.

(a)

Restrictions. No persons, with the exception of those persons who have been issued an exemption entitlement parking permit pursuant to F.S. § 320.0848 or a license plate pursuant to F.S. § 302.084 or 302.0842, all as currently existing or as may be amended, shall park or leave standing any motor-driven vehicle in any parking space or portion thereof reserved for handicapped or disabled persons pursuant to F.S. ch. 316, Chapter 516 of the South Florida Building Code, and the city's Land Development Regulations.

(b)

Ticketing procedure. Vehicles parked in violation of this section shall be cited by law enforcement officers and/or parking enforcement specialists, such municipal citations to be affixed to the windshield of the offending vehicle where the vehicle is parked or left standing in a space which is reserved for handicapped or disabled persons. The law enforcement officer of parking enforcement specialist may have the offending vehicle removed to a lawful parking space or facility or require the operator or other person in charge of the vehicle to immediately remove the offending vehicle; however, if the offending vehicle is parked in a space provided by a governmental agency, the law enforcement officer or parking enforcement specialist shall have the offending vehicle removed to a lawful parking space or facility or require the operator or other person in charge of the vehicle to immediately remove the offending vehicle and shall charge the operator or other person in charge of the vehicle with violation of this section. Whenever any vehicle is removed by a law enforcement officer or parking enforcement specialist to a storage lot, garage or other safe parking space, the cost of such removal and parking shall be a lien against the vehicle.

(c)

Penalties. Any person, firm or corporation found guilty of violating any provision of this section shall be assessed the total amount of two hundred sixty-four dollars and fifty cents ($264.50) which includes a base fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) pursuant to F.S. § 316.008(4), and shall be subject imprisonment for a term not to exceed thirty (30) days, or both, for each such violation. In addition to the base fine, the total assessment includes a five dollar ($5.00) assessment for the purpose of funding the school crossing guard program, pursuant to F.S. § 318.21(11)(a), a five dollar ($5.00) civil court collection fee, a two dollar and fifty cent ($2.50) civil court processing fee, and a two dollar ($2.00) teen court fee pursuant to F.S. § 938.19, any of which may be amended from time to time. The base fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) may be reduced in a court of law where the hearing officer makes an affirmative finding of the existence of extenuating circumstances during the violation of this section.

(d)

Expired handicap parking permits. In the event that the person violating subsection 20-21(a) above is in possession of a handicap parking permit which has expired and which has been renewed and is current, the fine for parking in a handicap parking space with an expired permit shall be reduced to thirty-five dollars ($35.00).

(Ord. No. 83-129, § 1, 4-5-83; Ord. No. 84-129, § 1, 5-29-84; Ord. No. 85-176, § 1, 10-29-84; Ord. No. 85-213, §§ 1, 2, 11-25-85; Ord. No. 87-133, § 1, 6-29-87; Ord. No. 89-114, § 1, 5-30-89; Ord. No. 90-184, §§ 1, 3, 11-13-90; Ord. No. 91-143, § 1, 6-24-91; Ord. No. 970-111, § 1, 4-28-97; Ord. No. 05O-04-133, § 2, 4-25-05; Ord. No. 05O-05-151, § 3, 6-13-05; Ord. No. 13O-04-115, § 3, 5-13-2013)