Council members debate parking enforcement fairness and the 72‑hour rule

Disagreement over how aggressively to enforce parking rules, including a 72‑hour limit on stationary vehicles, dominated resident questions at the Jan. 20 council workshop.

Several council members and residents said long-standing informal practices — where officers sometimes did not ticket vehicles belonging to long-term residents — created perceptions of unequal enforcement. One council member described a car that had been stationary since summer flood events and said it had not been consistently ticketed despite community complaints.

The police chief explained enforcement constraints: officers must observe the violation in person to issue a citation and cannot rely solely on residents’ photos. “They have to see it for themselves,” the chief said, noting staff do respond and that some vehicles targeted by residents were moved and later returned.

Residents and council members urged a clearer, more equitable approach. One resident told council staff it was burdensome for residents to gather evidence for code enforcement and asked why staff could not proactively investigate blocking or repeat offenders.

Council members discussed whether the 72‑hour rule should be revised in code or enforced more uniformly. Staff suggested code revisions are an option but said, in the short term, officers will continue to apply what is on the books while the council considers changes.

There was no policy vote at the workshop; council members asked staff and police for follow-up information on the current interpretation of the code, how automated and municipal infraction revenues are recorded, and options for clearer notice and street‑sweeping enforcement.