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Residents and council spar after replacement of no‑parking signs triggers towing complaints
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Summary
Residents told the Crowley council their cars were towed after new reflective no‑parking signs were installed along West Hutchinson/Highway 90. The mayor said the signs replace a 2001 ordinance and were installed at the police chief's request; Alderman Vernon Martin called the action an overreach and demanded reimbursements.
A public hearing at the Crowley Mayor and Board of Aldermen on a no‑parking ordinance drew multiple residents who said towing and new reflective signage has caused unfair citations and hardship.
Bobby Clement told the council her car was towed from near Beckett's/Becky's on Highway 90 and said she "believe[s] that were wrongfully" towed because "there were no parking signs posted anywhere to indicate" the space was prohibited. She asked the council for reimbursement of towing fees, saying the fee was a "serious financial burden." The council questioned the precise parking location and whether existing signage was visible.
Mayor (speaker 1) said the locations flagged by residents are shown in City ordinance section 14‑44 and that Ordinance No. 12‑43 (amending chapter 14) adds West Hutchinson Avenue to the no‑parking list. He said worn, faded signs—some more than 25 years old—were replaced with larger, reflective signs at the police chief's request and that the replacements were not new no‑parking zones but the same ordinance‑designated blocks. "Those signs are not new. They're 25 years old, and they were replaced with new no parking signs," he said.
Chief of Police Troy Hebert acknowledged that, after the new signs were installed, officers issued citations and admitted enforcement decisions could have been handled with better judgment in some instances. He told the council his officers acted in response to crowding on 2nd Street/Highway 90 and to safety concerns when parked vehicles impeded traffic.
Michael (Mike) Clement, owner of OT's Hall, said the new signage and placement hurt small businesses and community gatherings near the Martin Luther King Center. He and other residents urged the council to use time‑limited restrictions or temporary barricades during events instead of permanent signage that affects everyday parking.
Alderman Vernon Martin sharply criticized the mayor, accusing him of overstepping, calling for reimbursement for those who received tickets and demanding apologies; he said the council should have been consulted before signs were reinstalled. The mayor and others responded that the governing ordinance gives the chief responsibility to maintain and install suitable signs and that the replacements reflected existing ordinance zones.
The chief proposed practical accommodations: covering signs to allow third‑Saturday church parking and examining designated resident parking close to homes to address elderly residents' access and lighting concerns. The mayor offered to ride with residents to show all ordinance‑designated no‑parking zones and to bring any ordinance changes back to the council for formal amendment.
The council did not vote on an ordinance amendment at the meeting; members discussed follow‑up options including a future agenda item and staff review. The mayor said residents can contact his office and that the administration will work with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) where state highways are involved.
The council plans follow‑up discussion; changes to ordinances or time‑limited signage would require formal council action.
