Local authorities shall not establish parking meter zones or fix the rate of fees for such zones except by ordinance. An ordinance establishing a parking meter zone shall describe the area which would be included within the zone. Local authorities may by ordinance cause streets and highways to be marked with white lines designating parking spaces and require vehicles to park within the parking spaces. No ordinance adopted by any local authority pursuant to this section with respect to any state highway shall become effective until the proposed ordinance has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Department of Transportation. The proposed ordinance shall be submitted to the department only by action of the local legislative body and the proposed ordinance shall be submitted in complete draft form. Any ordinance adopted pursuant to this section establishing a parking meter zone or fixing rates of fees for such a zone shall be subject to local referendum processes in the same manner as if such ordinance dealt with a matter of purely local concern.
