Police chief says RV/trailer pilot produced few complaints; council considers extension

Police Chief Bill Mixer reported to the council that a 90-day pilot program allowing trailers and recreational vehicles to be parked in private driveways generated little resident feedback and few formal complaints, and he asked the council whether it should be made permanent, left as-is, or extended for another period.

Mixer said the pilot, which ran from October through Dec. 31, produced few positive or negative comments. “We actually had to go out and knock on doors and solicit information as much as we can,” Mixer said, and the primary issues raised were whether sight lines over sidewalks were obstructed and whether driveway parking freed up street spaces. The pilot aimed to reduce on-street storage of RVs subject to the 72-hour mobile-vehicle rules.

Several council members said they favored extending the pilot through additional seasons so the city can observe summer travel patterns; one member suggested a six-month seasonal extension to compare results when more RVs and boats are likely to be present. Concerns included ensuring sidewalks remained usable and that driveway parking did not create visibility or safety problems. Mixer said making the pilot permanent would require a change to the municipal code.

No formal motion to change the code was taken at the meeting; Mixer said staff could return with an item to extend the pilot or propose ordinance amendments if council wants to take action. “If you wanted to take any sort of action to extend the pilot program, we would bring it back to the next council for action,” he said.