This chapter applies to the regulation of prices of emergency items and services during an emergency or disaster for which a proclamation of a local emergency has been issued by the Thousand Oaks City Council or City Manager pursuant to Government Code Section 8630.
(a) Excessive price increases prohibited. Upon the proclamation of a local emergency or disaster, it shall be unlawful for any merchant, person, contractor, business or other entity, to increase prices and sell or offer to sell any emergency items or services for a price which is more than ten (10%) percent greater than the price charged by such person or business for said emergency items or services immediately prior to the proclamation of the local emergency, unless said person can prove that the excess was directly attributable to additional costs imposed by the supplier of the emergency items, or resulting from increased cost of labor and/or cost of materials used to provide the emergency service.
(b) Modification; termination. The applicability of this section can be expressly modified, reduced or eliminated by the provisions within the proclamation of the local emergency or disaster. Any price regulation imposed under this section terminates upon the termination of the local emergency, unless terminated earlier by the Thousand Oaks City Council.
(§ 1, Ord. 1196-NS, eff. February 8, 1994)