(a) A municipality or parking authority created by a municipality may employ parking enforcement officers, whose sole duties are to patrol and to enforce municipal parking ordinances upon or within designated municipal parking areas and upon municipal streets. Parking enforcement officers may sign complaints and issue citations.
(b) Parking enforcement officers shall:
(1) Be in uniform;
(2) Display a badge or other sign of authority; and
(3) Serve at the will and pleasure of their employer.
(c) The governing body of the municipality may require the parking enforcement officers to give a surety bond, payable to the municipality. The governing body shall set the amount of the bond conditioned for the faithful performance of their duties. Nothing in this section may be construed to mean that parking enforcement officers come within the civil service provisions of West Virginia Code Chapter 8, Article 14, or the policemen’s pension and relief fund provisions of West Virginia Code Chapter 8, Article 22. (3-17-20)