Council directs staff to study RV and large‑vehicle parking enforcement after residents complain about abandoned and oversized vehicles

Commerce City Council unanimously voted to direct the city manager and staff to research how neighboring jurisdictions regulate the parking and removal of recreational vehicles, inoperable and oversized vehicles and to propose potential changes to the municipal code.

Councilmember Dukes introduced the motion, saying widespread complaints from residents about RVs parked without tags, semis and abandoned vehicles had become a city‑wide nuisance and safety concern. Dukes asked staff to examine neighboring cities’ codes and enforcement practices and return with options to strengthen the city’s “progressive discipline” tools for cited vehicles.

Council discussion focused on whether the effort should be narrowly targeted to RVs or framed broadly to cover large trucks and semis that park in residential areas. Councilmember Chacon asked that data on semi‑truck parking also be examined; city staff and the city manager said the city’s current vehicle ordinances already define broad categories and would allow proposed enforcement tools to apply uniformly to recreational and large vehicles. Manager Rogers and staff said the research will include examples of tools used elsewhere and suggested any resulting ordinance would return for council consideration.

The motion passed unanimously; the clerk recorded a roll‑call vote and council asked staff to include data on current citations, hotspot locations, and enforcement costs with the report. Several councilors said they expected the staff’s proposals to include options for stronger progressive enforcement and clarified that the staff would also advise how consistent application across vehicle types could be achieved.