City amends nuisance-vehicle rules to give enforcement more discretion

The Woodland Park City Council unanimously approved Ordinance 15-09, Series 2025, revising chapter 10.08 of the municipal code on removal and disposal of nuisance vehicles.

Police Chief Chris Diesler told council the changes are primarily language clarifications intended to make existing enforcement tools more effective. "Effectively, the reason why we're here ... is to simply change some language in an existing ordinance to allow for more, effective enforcement if the time ever comes," Diesler said. He and councilors discussed the intent behind revisions and emphasized that enforcement follows a graduated approach: staff will seek contact with owners and apply progressive remedies before towing or disposal.

Council members expressed support for the change while pressing the chief to preserve common-sense application and safeguards against misuse. Councilor Bryant noted that adding a single word could dramatically change enforcement scope and asked how staff would avoid towing vehicles that are lawfully parked or temporarily unattended. Diesler replied that the department practices due diligence — attempting owner contact and assessing safety before towing.

The ordinance amends the city's nuisance-vehicle provisions to clarify grounds for enforcement, including vehicles left unattended for extended periods and vehicles that present hazards; the council did not change the department's procedural expectations for outreach before removing vehicles.

Ordinance 15-09 passed on unanimous roll call. Council members said they expect the police and code-enforcement staff to apply the ordinance fairly and to avoid using it as a tool for neighbor disputes.