Senate Bill 2358

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 21-37-29, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PERMIT MUNICIPALITIES TO DELEGATE AUTHORITY FOR ENFORCEMENT OF PARKING REGULATIONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 21-37-29, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

21-37-29. (1) The governing authority of any municipality in this state is hereby authorized and empowered to purchase, lease or otherwise acquire, and to install and maintain parking meters for the regulation of the parking of vehicles on the municipal streets. When such parking meters are installed and operated by any municipality, the governing authority thereof shall have the power to prescribe, by ordinance, reasonable rules and regulations for the use and operation of same, and to provide and prescribe penalties for the violation of such rules and regulations. Such governing authority may also fix, prescribe, and collect fees for the use of the parking space adjacent to any such meters and to require that such fee shall be paid by the deposit of the appropriate coin or coins in such meters.

(2) A municipality, by ordinance duly spread upon its minutes, may delegate to an appropriate private enterprise with whom the municipality contracts all or part of the authority to enforce any ordinance concerning the regulation of parking within the confines of the municipality or any part thereof, including, but not limited to, penalties for violations, deadlines for the payment of fines, and late payment penalties for fines not paid when due. The delegating ordinance may also provide that a summons or parking citation for the violation may be issued by a uniformed law enforcement officer, uniformed law enforcement employee, or by uniformed personnel employed by the delegate serving under contract with the municipality.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2004.