HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance No. 2755-2014Sponsored by: Councilors Molloy and Gabriel
CITY OF KENAI
NO. 2755 -2014
AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, AMENDING
KENAI MUNICIPAL CODE 13.20.035 - CAMPING, FIRES, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES ON
CITY BEACHES, TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO TEMPORARILY REGULATE
BEACH ACTIVITIES TO PROTECT PUBLIC SAFETY, HEALTH OR WELFARE, AND FOR
CITY MAINTENANCE OF PROPERTY.
WHEREAS, Kenai Municipal Code 13.20.035 currently prohibits camping, open fires
and parking at all times within a particularly described area on the South Beach; and,
WHEREAS, occurrences including, but not limited to extreme high tides, high fire
dangers, City maintenance, erosion and health hazards necessitate the temporary
closure or prohibition of certain activities on City beaches, or sections thereof, from
time to time to protect public safety, health or welfare or for City maintenance of City
owned or managed property; and,
WHEREAS, in order to respond efficiently to unforeseen events for the protection of
public safety, health or welfare or for City maintenance of City owned or managed
property, the City Manager must have authority to respond timely in order to regulate
beach activities, which may be outside the timeframe of regularly scheduled Council
meetings; and,
WHEREAS, requiring reasonable public notice, and reporting of any restrictions to
Council at the next council meeting after such restrictions are implemented, affords
the public notice of temporarily prohibited or restricted activities, keeps the Council
informed, and allows for modifications, retractions, or extensions of regulations
imposed by the City Manager.
WHEREAS, at the City of Kenai, Harbor Commission meeting on May 12. 2014, the
Harbor Commission recommended, by unanimous vote, that Council pass this
ordinance.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI,
ALASKA, that
Section 1. Form: That this is a code ordinance.
Section 2. Amendment of Section 13.20.035 of the Kenai Municipal Code: That
Kenai Municipal Code, Section 13.20.035 - Camping, Fires, and Other Activities on
City Beaches, is hereby amended as follows:
New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACXETEDI
Ordinance No. 2755 -2014
Page 2 of 3
Section 13.20.035 - Camping, Fires, and Other Activities on City Beaches.
(a) The intent of this section of code is to regulate camping, fires and other
activities on City beaches that threaten or have the potential to threaten or
damage public and private property, use and enjoyment of the beaches, public
safety, health and welfare, and other City interests. [THE FOLLOWING IS
PROHIBITED:]
1. Camping, starting or maintaining open fires, and parking on City
Beaches is prohibited as follows:
A. On that portion of the South Beach beginning at the line common
to the NE ' /a, and SE '/4, of Section 7, Township 5 North, Range 11
West, Seward Meridian Alaska South to the City of Kenai
boundary, located on Section 7 and 18, Township 5 North, Range
11 West, Seward Meridian, as shown on Appendix V of Title 13 of
the Kenai Municipal Code.
[B.] [WITHOUT FURTHER AUTHORIZATION, THE CITY MANAGER
MAY TEMPORARILY EXPAND THE AREA(S) CLOSED TO
CAMPING, STARTING OR MAINTAINING OPEN FIRES, AND
PARKING ON CITY BEACHES AS NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE
PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, CITY INTERESTS OR PRIVATE
PROPERTY FOR PERIODS NOT TO EXCEED 30 DAYS. FURTHER
EXTENSIONS OF NOT MORE THAN 60 DAYS MAY BE APPROVED
BY RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL. IN ALL CASES,
REASONABLE PUBLIC NOTICE SHALL BE PROVIDED.]
[C.] [THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION DO NOT APPLY TO
GOVERNMENTAL OFFICIALS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR
OFFICIAL DUTIES, OR TO PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS
OTHERWISE LAWFULLY ENGAGED IN ACTIVITIES ON THEIR
PRIVATE PROPERTY.]
2. With reasonable public notice, and without further authorization, the
City Manager may temporarily close City beaches or portions thereof to
camping, starting or maintaining open fires, parking, vehicular access
and other similar activities. Causes for such temporary closures include
but are not limited to extreme high tides, conditions creating high fire
dangers, health hazards, high waters or flooding or other risks to public
safety, health or welfare or for the maintenance of City owned or
managed property.
A. Any temporary closure described in subsection (a)(2) above
authorized by the City Manager must be reported to Council at the
next Council meeting after the temporary closure takes effect.
New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
Ordinance No. 2755 -2014
Page 3 of 3
B. Temporary closures authorized by the City Manager as described
in subsection (a)(2) above may not exceed thirty (30) days. The
Council may extend and modify closures by resolution.
(b) "City beaches," for purposes of this code section, means the areas of the North
and South Beach as shown on Appendix III and IV of Title 13 of the Kenai
Municipal Code.
(cc)[B] A violation of this section shall be punishable as provided in KMC 13.05.010.
jdd) The provisions of this code section do not apply to governmental officials in the
performance of their official duties, or to private property owners otherwise
lawfully engaged in activities on their private property.
Section 3. Severability: That if any part or provision of this ordinance or application
thereof to any person or circumstances is adjudged invalid by any court of competent
jurisdiction, such judgment shall be confined in its operation to the part, provision, or
application directly involved in all controversy in which this judgment shall have been
rendered, and shall not affect or impair the validity of the remainder of this title or
application thereof to other persons or circumstances. The City Council hereby
declares that it would have enacted the remainder of this ordinance even without such
part, provision, or application.
Section 4. Effective Date: That pursuant to KMC 1.15.070(1), this ordinance shall
take effect 30 days after adoption.
PASSED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, this 20th day of May,
2014.
PAT PORTER, MAYOR
A T^
Sand a o igh, City Clerk
Introduced: May 7, 2014
Adopted: May 20, 2014
Effective: June 20, 2014
New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
"Villaye with a Past, C# with a Future it
210 Fidalgo Avenue, Kenai, Alaska 99611 -7794
Telephone: 907 - 283 -7535 / FAX: 907 - 283 -3014
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Porter, Council Members, and Student Representative
FROM: Council Members Brian Gabriel and Bob Molloy
DATE: 05 -01 -14
SUBJECT: Ordinance No. 2755 -2014
Ordinance No. 2755 -2014 builds on the new code section enacted by Ordinance No. 2744 -2014,
which Council passed at its 04 -02 -14 meeting. That earlier ordinance enacted KMC 13.20.035 —
Camping, Fires, and Other Activities on City Beaches. The major purpose of that earlier
ordinance was to prohibit camping, starting or maintaining open fires, and parking on the portion
of the South Beach defined in that ordinance.
Ordinance No. 2755 -2014 moves the subject matter of former Subsection (a).1.13 to new
Subsection 2, and expands and clarifies that subject matter. New Subsection 2 provides that,
with reasonable public notice in advance, the City Manager may temporarily close City beaches
or portions thereof to camping, starting or maintaining open fires, parking, vehicular access and
other similar activities in order to protect public safety, health or welfare, and for City
maintenance of property. Causes for such temporary closures include but are not limited to
extreme high tides, conditions creating high fire dangers, health hazards, high waters or flooding
or other risks to public safety, health or welfare or to the maintenance of City owned or managed
property. "City beaches" is defined to be the areas of the North and South Beach as shown on
Appendix III and IV of Title 13 of the Kenai Municipal Code.
Ordinance No. 2755 -2014 provides that any temporary closure authorized by the City Manager
may not exceed thirty (30) days and must be reported to Council at the next Council meeting
after the temporary closure takes effect. This new ordinance also provides that Council may
extend and modify closures by resolution, and it moves the subject matter of former Subsection
(a). LC -- exempting both governmental officials in the performance of their official duties and
private property owners otherwise lawfully engaged in activities on their private property -- to
new Section (d).
Your support of this ordinance is respectfully requested.
►V
"Villaye with a Past, C# with a Future fl
210 Fidalgo Avenue, Kenai, Alaska 99611 -7794
Telephone: 907 - 283 -7535 / FAX: 907- 283 -3014
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Mayor Porter, Co- Sponsor Council Member Gabriel
Council Members and Student Representative
FROM:
Council Liaison Bob Molloy
DATE:
05 -13 -14
SUBJECT:
Ordinance No. 2755 -2014
Harbor Commission's Recommendation for Council
At the Harbor Commission meeting on Monday 05- 12 -14, the Commission considered
Ordinance No. 2755 -2014. This ordinance amends KMC 13.20.035 — Camping, Fires, and
Other Activities on City Beaches to provide that, with reasonable public notice in advance, the
City Manager may temporarily close City beaches, or portions of the beaches, to camping,
starting or maintaining open fires, parking, vehicular access and other similar activities in order
to protect public safety, health or welfare, and for city maintenance of property.
After discussion, the Harbor Commission voted unanimously to approve a motion to recommend
passage of Ordinance No. 2755 -2014.
Therefore, the Last WHEREAS clause could be amended to state:
WHEREAS, at its regularly scheduled meeting of May 12, 2014, the Harbor
Commission recommended, by unanimous vote, that Council pass this ordinance.