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Council hears first reading on parking enforcement expansion; staff clarifies notice and fee practices
Summary
At first reading, staff proposed allowing vehicle immobilization and towing to address chronic unpaid parking citations, with a staged enforcement process and an optional short payment-reprieve window; parking director said letters are mailed after five unpaid citations and a $250 on-vehicle notice is used before immobilization/tow.
Petoskey City Council considered a first reading on a proposed ordinance that would authorize vehicle immobilization (often called "booting") and towing for chronic unpaid parking citations and expand procedures for collection.
Amy Green, downtown management director, said the measure aims to reduce chronic nonpayment through staged enforcement rather than repeated low-dollar tickets. Green summarized the proposed sequence of notices, payment-plan options, and the operational steps that would lead to immobilization and towing for vehicles with multiple unpaid violations.
Parking Director April Sanders clarified operational practice during the meeting: staff sends a mailed notice after five unpaid citations (totaling $100 or more). At a higher unpaid threshold (approximately $250) a notice is placed on the vehicle itself; historically the immediate cash-collection cap for vehicle-release at towing has been set at $250 to reduce the likelihood a vehicle remains permanently unretrievable. Sanders said letters include a detailed list of unpaid citations, the balance due and contact information for payment plans. Staff also photographs any letter placed on a windshield to create a record.
Council members asked a series of operational and legal questions: whether the ordinance text and staff memo were consistent on the numeric threshold ($100 vs. $250 references), whether immobilization devices would be left in place for 72 hours before towing, how daily storage and towing fees are handled, whether multiple re-immobilizations would be permitted if a payment plan is broken, and whether an amnesty or payment-reprieve window should be offered to encourage base-payment. Several councillors urged the city attorney to confirm legal enforceability for collection and payment-plan procedures.
Public commenters cautioned about disproportionate impacts on low-income residents who might not be able to recover towed vehicles and asked for generous outreach and accessible payment-plan options; council signaled support for a short payment-reprieve window to encourage resolution of outstanding fines. The ordinance remains at first reading; staff will return with recommended language and proposed enforcement details.
