§ 11-148.1. Use of city funds to remove graffiti
(1) The city may use city funds to remove graffiti from publicly or privately owned real or personal property located within the city, and to replace or repair public or privately owned property within the city that has been defaced with graffiti that cannot be removed cost effectively.
(2) The city shall only remove the graffiti itself, or, if the graffiti cannot be removed cost effectively, the repair or replacement of the portion of the property that was defaced, and not the painting, repair, or replacement of other parts of the property that were not defaced.
(3) The removal, repair, or replacement may be performed, in the case of publicly owned real or personal property, only after securing the consent of the public entity having jurisdiction over the property, and in the case of privately owned real or personal property, only after securing the consent of the owner or possessor.
(4) The Costa Mesa Police Department may promulgate procedures for pre-removal preservation of sufficient evidence of the graffiti for criminal prosecutions or proceedings pursuant to Section 602 of the Welfare and Institutions Code pertaining to the person or persons who inscribed the graffiti. These procedures shall be followed by the city prior to or during removal of the graffiti.