Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity of Rolling Hills Estates - Peace Offices Unsafe Vehicles ' / 1 HUGH MULLER Mayor Incorporated PETER WEBER Sept. 18. THE CITY OF ,Mayor Ptn-Tem I957 JACIQAicGUIRE ilun»mn Councunman i ROLLING HILLS ESTATES KENNETH SERVIS Councilman 4045 PAWS VERDES DRIVE NORTH • ROLLING HILLS ESTATES,CA 90274 WARREN SCHWARZMANN TELEPHONE-377-1577 Councilman oO DOUGLAS R.PRICHARD == City,tlanager May 6, 1991 ,A 91991 ~ I Mayor, Council Members, and City Manager City of Palm Desert 73-510 Fred Waring Drive Palm Desert, California 92260 Dear Mayor, Council Members, and City Manager: Enclosed is the City of Rolling Hills Estates Resolution No. 1653 urging the Legislature to empower properly trained peace officers to remove unsafe commercial vehicles from streets and highways. This Resolution will be included for consideration in the Annual Business Session of the California Contract Cities Association in Palm Springs. We strongly urge you to support this effort. Additionally, we would urge your City Council to adopt a similar resolution and contact your individual legislators expressing your support for this effort. Included is background information on the subject. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for your assistance and consideration of our position. Sincerely, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED ACTION; RECEIVED DENTED +-� OTHER Doug as R. Prichard ETI4-0 N City Manager IPArt 1E AYES: C - a- `l\ DRP:hn AEy j_—� � Enclosures AnsTAIENN:`^- VERIFIED Original on File yyi ��-- tY Clerk► p`-' f'- f-i I , ROLT.TNG HILLS ESTATES POSITION STATEMENT ON TRUCK SAFETY Several times in recent years this city has attempted, in concert with other cities in similar situations, to get legislation passed which would allow qualified law enforcement officers to remove unsafe commercial vehicles from the road. This authority is currently reserved for the California Highway Patrol. With respect to the Palos Verdes Peninsula, we have hilly terrain where major thoroughfares sustain grades in excess of 10% for several miles and over which traffic volume is in excess of 30,000 vehicles per day. Additionally, many collector and local streets have stretches of 15% to 20% grades. These conditions contribute to traffic safety problems in situations where vehicles have mechanical-related problems (e.g. failing brakes) . Typically, the Sheriff's Department enforces the Vehicle Code which includes regulations regarding weight, height, cargo and safety equipment. During the enforcement activities, deputies occasionally have contact with commercial vehicles that are in such poor condition that to allow the vehicles to continue would pose a serious hazard to other motorists. The safest course of action in these situations would be to simply prohibit movement of the vehicles until repairs are made. However, the only law enforcement personnel currently authorized to immediately remove an unsafe vehicle from the roadway are California Highway Patrol Officers. When our deputies find a vehicle which should not be operated further, an attempt is made to convince the driver to leave the vehicle parked or request a member of the California Highway Patrol to respond to the location and order the vehicle impounded. The fact of the matter is when this latter attempt is made, the Sheriff's Department informs us that oftentimes the California Highway Patrol is either unable to respond to such a request or may be delayed to such an extent that to require a commercial vehicle operator to wait in abeyance until an officer arrives at the scene is simply not practical. It is precisely for this reason that this type of legislation is needed to allow local enforcement agencies the opportunity and flexibility to deal with unsafe commercial vehicles which should be removed from operation on our roadways. The City believes that this type of legislation would essentially augment the commercial vehicle enforcement powers of the California Highway Patrol which appear to be severely tested to the limits within not only our jurisdiction but the State of California as a whole. For example, according to recent California Highway Patrol statistics, truck-involved accidents within the State of California have been on the rise over the last several years. Clearly, these statistics point to the need for additional commercial vehicle enforcement services by other law enforcement personnel. It is our contention that this legislation would benefit everyone concerned, the motoring public because the roadways in the State of California would become safer, the California Highway Patrol because their commercial vehicle enforcement services would be enhanced and augmented by other properly trained and licensed law enforcement personnel, and the California trucking industry because the level and standards for commercial vehicle safety would be raised in the industry. For these reasons, the Rolling Hills Estates City Council urges the California Contract Cities Association to adopt a resolution of support for empowering properly trained peace officers to remove unsafe commercial vehicles from streets and highways. CITY OF ROLLING HILLS ESTATES LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA RESOLUTION NO. 1653 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, CALIFORNIA SUPPORTING LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS TO EMPOWER PROPERLY TRAINED PEACE OFFICERS TO REMOVE UNSAFE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES FROM STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. 1 WHEREAS, local peace officers assigned to traffic duties currently enforce Vehicle Code sect g g ways ions re ulatin commercial vehicles on road ay . These regulations pertain to a commercial vehicle's weight, size, equipment, loading and hazardous materials laws; and WHEREAS, during their enforcement activities, local peace officers are confronted with commercial vehicles that are in such disrepair and poor condition that their continued operation on the roadway constitutes an extreme hazard to other motorists; and WHEREAS, the safest course of action when local peace officers discover such unsafe commercial vehicles is to prohibit the movement of the vehicles until repairs are made; and WHEREAS, the only officers currently authorized to remove unsafe commercial vehicles from use are California Highway Patrol officers. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City Council of the City of Rolling Hills Estates supports legislative action that would extend the authority to remove commercial vehicles from service to all properly trained peace officers assigned to traffic duties. The City Clerk shall forward certified copies of this Resolution to the II California Contract Cities Association for consideration at the Annual Business Session, the League of California Cities, Senator Robert Beverly and Assemblyman Gerald Felando. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 9th day of April, 1991. ‘T,/e-e-, M'fli \ ' HUGH . MULLER, MAYOR ATTEST: ', ,Z4ZZ):/2-------Z---, . DOUGLAS . PRICHARD. CITY CLERK I, DOUGLAS R. PRICHARD. HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution No. 1653 - .was duly and regularly passed by the City Council of the City of Rolling Hills Estates at a regular meeting thereof held on the 9th day of April. 1991, by the following vote: AYES: MC GUIRE, MULLER, SCHWARZMANN, SERVIS, WEBER t l NOES: NONE ABSENT: NONE ABSTAIN: NONE DOUGLAS R. PRICHARD, CITY CLERK RESOLUTION NO. 1653 RELATING TO THE REMOVAL OF UNSAFE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES FROM HIGHWAYS