1967-003 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CODE OF THE CITY OF DENTON,
TEXAS, REGULATING PARADES AND OTHER SIMILAR USES OF
PUBLIC PLACES, AUTHORIZING THE CHIEF OF POLICE TO
RECEIVE APPLICATIONS AND ISSUE PERMITS, PROVIDING
STANDARDS FOR ISSUANCE THEREOF, ESTABLISHING PROCE-
DURE FOR APPEAL UPON REJECTION OF APPLICATION, RE-
QUIRING COMPLIANCE WITH PERMIT CONDITIONS, AND PRE-
SCRIBING PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION OF ITS PROVISIONS.
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS, HEREBY ORDAINS
SECTION I.
That the Code of the C~ty of Denton, Texas, Ks hereby amend-
ed by adding new Sections 24-58 1 through 24-58 13 to Chapter 24
of sa~d Code which shall hereafter read as follows
SECTION 24-58 1 - DEFINITIONS REGARDING PARADES
(1) "Chlef of Pollce" is the Chief of Police of the City
of Denton, Texas
(2) "City" is the City of Denton, Texas
(3) "Parade" is any parade, march, ceremony, show, exhibi-
tion, pageant, or procession of any kind, or any s~m~lar d~splay,
· n or upon any street, sidewalk, park or other public place in
the City
(4) "Parade Permit" is a permit as required by this Ordin-
ance
(5) "Person" is any person, firm, partnership, association,
corporation, company or organization of any k~nd
SECTION 24-58.2 - PEP/~IT REQUIRED FOR PARADE
No person shall engage in, participate ~n, a~d, form or
start any parade, unless a parade permit shall have been obtained
from the Chief of Police
(1) Exceptions This permit requirement shall not apply
to
(a) Funeral processions,
(b) Students going to and from school classes or partici-
pating in educational activities, providing such con-
duct is under the ~mmed~ate direction and supervision
of the proper school authorities,
(c) A governmental agency acting within the scope of its
functions
SECTION 24-58 3 - APPLICATION FOR PARADE PERMIT
A person seeking issuance of a parade permit shall file an
application with the Chief of Police on forms provided by such
officer
(1) FILING PERIOD. An application for a parade permit
shall be flled with the Chief of Police not less than seven (7)
days nor more than twenty (20) days before the date on which it
· s proposed to conduct the parade
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(2) CONTENTS The application for a parade permit shall
set forth the following information
(a) The name, address and telephone number of the person
seeking to conduct such parade,
(b) If the parade is proposed to be conducted for, on
behalf of, or by an organization, the name, address
and telephone number of the headquarters of the organ-
lzatlon and of the authorized and responsible heads
of such organization,
(o) The name, address and telephone number of the person
who will be the parade chairman and who will be res-
ponslble for its conduct,
(d) The date when the parade is to be conducted
(e) The route to be traveled, the starting point and the
termination point,
(f) The approximate number of persons who, and animals
and vehicles which, will constitute such parade, the
type of animals, and description of the vehicles,
(g) The hours when such parade will start and terminate,
(h) A statement as to whether the parade will occupy all
or only a portion of the width of the streets proposed
to be traversed,
(1) The location by streets of any assembly areas for such
parade,
(3) The time at which units of the parade will begin to
assemble at any such assembly area or areas,
(k) The interval of space to be maintained between units
of such parade,
(1) If the parade is designed to be held by, and on be-
half of or for, any person other than the applicant,
the applicant for such permit shall file with the
Chief of Police a communication in writing from the
person proposing to hold the parade, authorizing the
applicant to apply for the permit on his behalf
(m) Any additional information which the Chief of Police
shall find reasonably necessary to a fair determination
as to whether a permit should be issued
(3) LATE APPLICATIONS The Chief of Police, where good
cause is shown therefore, shall have the authority to consider
any application hereunder which is filed less than seven (7,)
days before the date such parade is proposed to be conducted.
SECTION 24-58.4 STANDARDS FOR ISSUANCE
The Chief of Police shall issue a permit as provided for
hereunder when, from a consideration of th~appllcatlon and from
such other information as may otherwise be obtained, he finds
that
(1) The conduct of the parade will not substantially
terrupt the safe and orderly movement of other traffic contiguous
to its route,
(2) The conduct of the parade will not require the diver-
sion of so great a number of police officers of the City to
properly police the line of movement and the areas contiguous
thereto as to prevent normal police protection to the City,
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(3) The conduct of such parade will not require the
diversion of so great a number of ambulances as to prevent
normal ambulance service to portions of the City other than
that to be occupied by the proposed l~ne of march and areas
contiguous thereto,
(4) The concentration of persons, animals and vehicles
at assembly polnts of the parade wlll not unduly ~nterfere w~th
proper f~re and police protection of, or ambulance service to,
areas contiguous to such assembly areas,
(5) The conduct of such parade will not interfere w~th
the movement of f~re-f~ght~ng equipment enroute to a fare
(6) The conduct of the parade is not reasonably likely
to cause ln]ury to persons or property, to provide d~sorderly
conduct or create a d~sturbance,
(7) The parade ls scheduled to move from its point of
organ to ~ts point of termination expeditiously and w~thout
unreasonable delays enroute,
SECTION 24-58 5 - NOTICE OF REJECTION
The Chief of Police shall act upon the appllcat~on for a
parade permit wlth~n three (3) days after the f~l~ng thereof
If the Chlef of Pollce d~sapproves the application, he shall
mall to the applicant within seven (7) days after the date
upon whlch the appllcatlon was filed, a notice of th~s actlon,
stating the reason for h~s denial of the permit
SECTION 24-58.6 - APPEAL PROCEDURE
Any person aggrieved shall have the r~ght to appeal the
denial of a parade permit to the City Council The appeal
shall be taken w~thln three (3) days after notice The City
Coun~l shall act upon the appeal at ~ts next meeting
SECTION 24-58 7 - ALTERNATIVE PERMIT
The Chief of Poll~e, in denying an application for a
parade permit, shall be empowered to authorize the conduct of
the parade on a date, at a t~me, or over a route different
from that named by the applicant An applicant desiring to
accept an alternate permlt shall, within three (3) days after
not~ce of the action of the Chief of Police, file a wrltten
notice of acceptance wlth the Chief of Police An alternate
parade permit shall conform to the requirements of, and shall
have the effect of a parade permit under, this ordinance
SECTION 24-58 8 - NOTICE TO CITY AND OTHER OFFICIALS
I~medlately upon the ~ssuance of a parade permit, the
Chlef of Pol~e shall send a copy thereof to the following
(1) The C~ty Manager,
(2) The Fire Chlef,
(3) The D~rector of the Department of Public Works
SECTION 24-58 9 - CONTENTS OF PERMIT
Each parade permlt shall state the following ~nformat~on
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(1) Starting time,
(2) Minimum speed,
(3) Maximum speed,
(4) Maxlmum interval of space to be maintained between
the units of the parade,
(5) The portions of the streets to be traversed that may
be occupied by the parade,
(6) The maximum length of th~ parade in miles or fractions
thereof,
(7) Such other information as the Chief of Police shall
find necessary to the enforcement of th~s ordinance
SECTION 24-58.10 - DUTIES OF PERMITTEE
A permlttee hereunder shall comply with all permit direct-
ions and conditions and with all applicable laws and ordinances
(1) POSSESSION OF PERMIT The parade chairman or other
person heading or leading such activity shall carry the parade
permit upon his person during the conduct of the parade
SECTION 24-58 11 - PUBLIC CONDUCT DURING PARADES
(1) INTERFERENCE. No person shall unreasonably hamper,
obstruct or impede, or interfere with any parade or parade
assembly or with any person, vehicle or animals participating
or used in a parade
(2) DRIVING THROUGH PARADES No driver of a vehicle,
bus blcycle, street car or trackless trolley shall drive between
the vehicles or persons comprising a parade when such vehicles
or persons are in motion and are conspicuously designated as a
parade.
(3) PA~KING ON PARADE ROUTE The Chief of Police shall
have the authority, when reasonably necessary, to prohibit or
restrict the parking or vehicles along a highway or part there-
of constituting a part of the route of a parade. The Chief of
Police shall post signs to such effect, and it shall be unlawful
for any person to park or leave unattended any vehicle in viol-
ation thereof. No person shall be liable for parking on a street
unposted ~n violation of this ordinance
SECTION 24-58 12 - REVOCATION OF PERMIT
The Chief of Police shall have the authority to revoke a
parade permit issued hereunder upon application of the standards
for ~ssuance as herein set forth
SECTION 24-58.13 - PENALTIES
The vlolat~on of any provision of th~s ordinance shall be
punished by a fine of not exceeding Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00),
and each day any such vlolat~on continues shall constitute a
separate offense.
SECTION II.
That all ordinances or parts of ordinances an force when
the provisions of this ordinance become effective which are incon-
slstent or in conflict with the terms or provisions contained in
this ordinance are hereby repealed to the e~ctent of any such
conflict.
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SECTION III.
That if any section, subsectzon, paragraph, sentence,
clause, phrase or word in this ordinance, or application thereof
to any person or circumstances is held lnvalzd by any court of
competent ]urlsdlctlon, such holding shall not affect the valid-
lty of the remaining portions of this ordinance, and the City
Council of the City of Denton, Texas, hereby declares it would
have enacted such remaining portions despite any such invalidity.
~ECTION IV.
That this ordinance shall become effective fourteen (14)
days from the date of its passage, and the City Secretary is
hereby directed to cause the caption of this ordznance to be
published twice in the Denton Record-Chronicle within ten (10)
days of the date of its passage
PASSED AND APPROVED this ~ ¢/ day of January, A D 1967
Warren Whltson, Jr,, Mayor
City of Denton, Texas
ATTE ST
//B~ooks Holt, City Secretary
Czty of Denton, Texas
APPROVED AS TO LEGAL FORM
tR Q. Barton, City Attorney
y of Denton, Texas
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