Wilkes‑Barre council holds first reading on ordinance to ban parked tractor‑trailers

Wilkes‑Barre officials held a first reading of an ordinance that would amend Article 5 of Chapter 29 of the city code by repealing and reenacting Section 29103 to prohibit the parking or standing of tractor‑trailers within city limits. Council designated the measure for its first reading and acknowledged one drafting change — staff said the word “not” was removed from the draft.

The item, introduced during the work session, was described as a citywide restriction on the parking and standing of large tractor‑trailer vehicles. Mayor George C. Brown recognized Councilmember Bill for leading the ordinance’s drafting and credited him for compiling background material and language for presentation.

The measure was introduced as a first reading; council members agreed it would be taken up for a separate vote in the forthcoming voting session. No final adoption occurred at the work session. Staff and councilors discussed procedural housekeeping: clerks noted the minor typographical change and asked members to review the final text before the vote.

If adopted, the ordinance would create a new Section 29103 in Chapter 29 governing Title, Traffic and Motor Vehicles. The transcript did not include the full final text of the enacted prohibition or details about exemptions (for deliveries, loading zones, emergency operations, or permitted staging areas). Those details will be resolved in the final ordinance text and during the next reading and vote.

Council did not take a final vote during the work session; members moved the item to the voting portion of the meeting to consider adoption at the next available step.