Council adopts overhaul of towing, parking and impound rules with small revision tied to state law

The Edmonds City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Aug. 12 that updates city code on towing, parking and impoundment and incorporates a new allowance under state law for residents to park in front of their own driveways.

Police Commander Shane Holly told the council the package is largely the same set of updates the council reviewed July 15, with two changes requested at the Committee of the Whole: removal of obsolete residential zoning language from 848.180 and an added exemption reflecting the recently passed state law (House Bill 1061) allowing councils to permit residents to park in front of their own driveways.

Holly said the change does not create a citywide permit for driveway parking; it simply allows the city code to endorse the state’s exemption. He told council that enforcement would rely first on a license-plate check to see whether a vehicle is registered to the property, and that officers would contact residents if ownership couldn’t be established.

Council President Tibbitt moved the ordinance; after brief discussion the council voted to approve the code updates unanimously.

What it means: The code update modernizes Edmonds’ parking enforcement language and provides the council an option permitted by state law to allow resident parking in front of their own driveways without a separate city permit. Councilmembers said they expect future discussion of permit program mechanics in the parking program work going forward.

Vote: Motion to adopt the ordinance carried unanimously; the council approved the updated code on the Aug. 12 consent/regular agenda.