Holtville adopts emergency ordinance restricting placement of chairs along parade route

The Holtville City Council on an emergency basis approved Resolution 25-01, adopting Emergency Ordinance No. 499 to regulate placement of chairs and other items along the Fifth Street parade route. The council set enforcement to begin at noon on the Friday before the parade.

Council members said the change responds to repeated complaints from businesses and residents after chairs left on the curb during high winds and other events created hazards and blocked business access. City Manager Nick told the council staff had to move chairs into the street last year after a wind event and that unsecured chairs posed a public-safety and egress risk for adjacent businesses: "we had to have our staff pull them out and and move them somewhere else," he said.

The measure mirrors language used by neighboring jurisdictions to limit how long chairs and other private items may reserve curbside spaces during the holiday parade week. Council and staff described two recurring problems: lightweight plastic chairs blowing into the street during wind events, and chairs chained to street posts that obstruct business entrances and emergency egress.

Rosie, representing the Holtville Chamber of Commerce, said local business owners supported a time-limited rule and relayed specific concerns from businesses on the parade block. Rosie reported that one business owner asked for a 10 p.m. Friday start because of her store hours; another business owner who closes earlier asked for earlier enforcement. Council members discussed options ranging from early-morning pickup (as used by Raleigh) to late-afternoon or evening enforcement and ultimately agreed on a Friday-noon deadline for this year as a compromise.

Council debate also covered how the city will handle removed items. City Manager Nick said removed chairs will be taken to the public works yard and marked for owner pickup during business hours; staff also noted some enforcement may involve the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) if a removal raises a security or confrontation risk. The council directed staff to notify the public and the parade organizers of the rule and the pickup location.

The vote was 3-2 to approve the emergency ordinance with the noon Friday enforcement time: Councilmember John Munger, Councilmember Mike Pacheco and Councilmember Mike Goodsell voted yes; Councilmember Marie Anderson and Councilmember Vanessa Ramirez voted no. Councilmembers and staff said the ordinance will be evaluated after the event and revised as needed for future years.

The ordinance takes immediate effect as an emergency measure so staff can begin public outreach and enforcement before the parade weekend.