Prince George’s County council advances bill tightening rules, fines for watercraft parked on county roads

Prince George’s County Council’s Committee of the Whole advanced amendments to a bill that would prohibit parking of personally owned watercraft on public streets, roads, highways and rights-of-way and raise fines for violations.

The committee voted 8-0 to approve amendments and move the bill forward after staff and council members discussed expanded definitions, higher penalties and a biannual reporting requirement. Councilmember Eric Olson moved the favorable recommendation; the motion was seconded and the committee carried the measure unanimously.

The proposed legislation, introduced earlier this year, would set a $250 fine for a first offense, $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for each additional offense beyond that. As drafted in the working draft discussed in committee, the bill would authorize the county police or an authorized agent to impound watercraft found parked on roadways. The amendments approved in committee add watercraft-on-trailer into the definition, give owners a 72-hour removal window for certain violations, and add a biannual reporting mandate for agencies involved in removal and impoundment.

"I think we've got it right," Councilmember Eric Olson said after staff summarised the changes, thanking legislative staff and administration officials for their work. Attorney Joel Peebles reviewed the draft amendments, which included language submitted by the Revenue Authority to ensure that watercraft on trailers displaying valid, invalid or no registration are covered.

Committee members accepted two friendly amendments offered by Councilmember Denoga and discussed with Ms. Skinner from the County Executive's office: dropping the words "at all" after the registration clause so the phrase reads "or no registration," and replacing the word "despair" with "disrepair" in the description of an inoperable vehicle left unattended.

The amendments also clarify that a watercraft that is "inoperable or in disrepair" and left unattended for more than 48 hours may be treated as an abandoned vehicle and that the department, police or their agents responsible for removal or storage will not be liable for damages sustained during custody or removal. A severability clause was added to the draft as well.

The fiscal analysis attached to the bill notes the legislation could have an adverse fiscal impact on the county; revenues and expenses could increase depending on enforcement activity and staffing needs. The bill’s reporting requirement will ask participating agencies (the Department of Environmental [sic], Department of Public Works and Transportation, the Revenue Authority and the police department) to provide a biannual report beginning Sept. 1, 2025, with counts of 3-1-1 complaints, pending and resolved complaints, and other information about removal, storage, impoundment and disposal of abandoned vehicles.

No final enforcement ordinance was adopted in the Committee of the Whole; the committee voted to move the amended bill forward for further action. Committee members who voted aye included Vice Chair Burrows, Councilmember DeNoga, Fisher, Harrison, Hawkins, Olson, Orietta and Watson.

The committee’s materials identify the change as a misdemeanor penalty provision (imprisonment up to 30 days, a fine not exceeding $1,500, or both) for misdemeanors listed in the draft. The bill remains subject to additional review and potential further amendment in subsequent committee or council proceedings.