Residents tell council street-sweeping signs near St. Luke’s are obscured after church events; city to investigate

During the public-comment period, several Temple City residents urged the council to address what they described as unclear street-sweeping signage near St. Luke’s Church and asked the city to work with churches to reduce citation incidents.

James Panet told the council he parked near St. Luke’s for Ash Wednesday and later found a $55 citation on his car; he said he appealed the citation and pursued the matter at Superior Court. Elizabeth Lampton, who identified her address near Broadway and Cloverly, said the street-sweeping sign is positioned on the far side of Cloverly and is not visible to parishioners who park on Broadway; she said the trees hide the sign. Alisa Pierry said she counted 13 cars that received tickets that day and urged some sort of special accommodation or clearer signage when churches have full services.

Mayor Chavez said city manager Brian Cook would look into the area, review whether additional signage is needed and coordinate a response; Cook and staff took notes and said they would follow up with the residents. The council did not take formal action at the meeting but requested staff investigate signage placement and communication between the city and nearby churches to reduce future ticketing incidents.

The council advised residents to file correspondence with City Hall when seeking action so staff can act earlier than waiting for a meeting. "If this isn't the case it can go either way so we I appreciate it," Mayor Chavez said while acknowledging the need to verify sign visibility and location before taking enforcement-related steps.