[Adopted 7-17-2001 by Ord. No. 24-2001; amended in its entirety 10-9-2018 by Ord. No. 32-2018]
This article shall be entitled the "Adams County Parking Ordinance."
This article is adopted under authority of Wis. Stats., §§ 59.03 and 59.52(24), and the municipal authority of Adams County.
The municipal parking lots now or hereafter acquired or established by the County shall be under the supervision of the Sheriff's Department.
It shall be unlawful to park any vehicle in any County parking lot in violation of any ordinance or to so park contrary to the rules established by the County Board for the use of such parking lot or in any place or manner other than that designated by the custodian thereof. No commercial or freight-carrying vehicle or trailer shall be parked in a County parking lot.
Public parking in Adams County parking lots is permitted between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. It shall be unlawful to park any vehicle in County parking lots for longer periods of time unless specifically authorized. Restrictions shall be enforced 24 hours, seven days a week.
The following County parking lots acquired and maintained for the parking of vehicles shall be known and parking periods established as set forth by the attached map, incorporated herein by reference.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The maps are included as an attachment to this chapter.
A. 
Space for handicapped people. County parking lots shall have spaces reserved for handicapped people in accordance with the terms of this article to equal at least 4% of the total number of spaces provided.
B. 
Parking spaces for mobility handicapped persons. For every eight handicapped spaces provided at any public building in the County, there shall be one handicapped space marked distinctly "van accessible."
There is hereby created the Parking Authority, an administrative body of the County. The Parking Authority shall consist of the Adams County Property Committee. The Parking Authority shall have the duty of overseeing the management of the County parking system, provided that the Parking Authority shall not incur any expenses except those covered by budgets approved by the County Board, and the Parking Authority shall not obligate any County funds for any bond issues or for other financial purposes without the approval of the County Board.
A. 
All County employees and full-time County officials of the Courthouse, Annex, and Sheriff's Department shall park accordingly in compliance with this article. Disabled employees or employees with special parking needs must request accommodation from the Parking Authority. Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. County policy will abide by and hereby adopts state and federal law (including the Americans with Disabilities Act).
B. 
Parking at Adams County Courthouse.
(1) 
County-owned nonemergency vehicles shall be parked in the parking lot located at the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Adams Street. Parking stalls shall be specifically designated and clearly marked by signage.
(2) 
Parking spaces located immediately adjacent to Courthouse Annex Entrance D are reserved for short-term public parking.
C. 
Parking at Adams County Law Enforcement Center. The Adams County Sheriff may issue specific parking space assignments for jail inmates when they enter into the jail system.
D. 
Parking at Adams County Health and Human Services. County-owned vehicles shall be parked in specifically designated parking stalls.
E. 
Parking at Adams County Community Center. County-owned vehicles shall be parked in specifically designated parking stalls.
F. 
Overnight parking. Overnight parking in any Adams County parking lot is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the Adams County Maintenance Director.
It shall be unlawful for the driver of a vehicle to stand a passenger vehicle for a period of time longer than is necessary for the loading or unloading of passengers, not to exceed three minutes, and for the driver to stand any freight-carrying vehicles for a period of time longer than is necessary to load, unload and deliver materials, not to exceed 30 minutes, in any place designated by ordinance as a loading zone and marked as such.
The Parking Authority shall cause signs to be posted in all areas where parking is limited or prohibited by ordinance, indicating such limitations or prohibitions.
A. 
Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this article shall forfeit not less than $5 nor more than $50 for each offense; and a separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues. This article may be enforced by citation issued by the Sheriff's Department.
B. 
The forfeiture for any first parking offense within a twelve-month period shall be $5, and all subsequent offenses within the twelve-month period shall be $10. Exception: Violations of parking in the handicap or disabled zone areas shall be as set forth by state law [§ 346.505(2), Wis. Stats.].
The Sheriff's Department, and all members thereof assigned to traffic duty, are hereby authorized to remove and tow away, or have removed and towed away by commercial towing service, any car or other vehicle illegally parked in any place where such parked vehicle creates or constitutes a traffic hazard, blocks the use of a fire hydrant, or obstructs or may obstruct the movement of any emergency vehicle or violates this article. Cars so towed away for illegal parking shall be stored in a safe place and shall be restored to the owner or operator of such car upon payment of a fee as set by the Sheriff's Department and the towing and storage service.
A. 
Abrogation and greater restrictions. Except as expressly stated herein, this article is not intended to repeal, annul, abrogate, impair or interfere with any existing covenants, deed restrictions, agreements, ordinances, rules, regulations or permits previously adopted or issued pursuant to law. However, wherever this article imposes greater restrictions, the provisions of this article shall govern.
B. 
Severability. Each section, paragraph, sentence, clause, word, and provision of this article is severable; and if any portion shall be deemed unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such decision shall not affect the remainder of the article nor any part thereof other than the portion affected by such decision.
C. 
Repealer. All other ordinances or parts of ordinances of Adams County inconsistent or conflicting with this article, to the extent of the inconsistency only, are hereby repealed. Adams County Ordinance No. 1-1998 is hereby repealed in its entirety.
This article shall take effect and be enforced upon passage and publication as provided by law; provided, however, that no citation shall be issued until appropriate signs have been placed as called for by § 350-46 of this article. It shall be considered to have the full effect and to be an official amendment to the Adams County Board Rules and the Adams County Policy and Procedure Manual.