Committee rejects emergency suspension for late-filed truck-parking amendment

The Rules, Confirmations & Public Elections Committee voted against suspending procedural rules to allow consideration of a late-filed amendment to BL 20 25 9 56, an ordinance amending Chapter 12.4.0 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws regarding abandoned vehicles and restrictions on street and alley parking.

The proposed late-filed amendment would have replaced subsection (b) of section 12.4.0.180 to prohibit “the parking of trucks, motor vehicles exceeding 8,800 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, box trucks, food trucks, food trailers, trailers, or semi trailers, whether or not attached to a tractor, on any street within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Government at any time of day or night,” except as otherwise permitted by law. Director Darby told the committee the change corrected a typographical error — a decimal point that should have been a comma — and that the amendment’s language was intended only to fix that formatting error. Director Darby said, “The change is a typographical error. It, there was a decimal point instead of a comma, and it merely corrects that.”

Committee members first considered a motion to defer action on the amendment. The committee then voted on a separate motion to suspend Rule 13, which would have allowed immediate consideration of the late-filed amendment. The suspension motion failed on a roll call: 1 in favor, 4 against. The chair said the amendment could be placed on the agenda during a future deferral period rather than be considered under emergency suspension.

Because the committee did not suspend Rule 13, the text of the late-filed amendment was not adopted or incorporated into the ordinance at this meeting. No final vote on BL 20 25 9 56 took place before the committee moved to other business.

Committee action details are part of the meeting record and will affect how and when the amendment can return for formal consideration at a future meeting.