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Resident presses council on blight and sidewalk parking; staff says enforcement depends on snowplow impact
Summary
Phil Larson of Proctor urged the council to enforce ordinances against heavy equipment and vehicles parked on sidewalks; a city staff member said earlier owners had permission and enforcement will follow if parking hinders snow removal, and noted the complaint form is used to track cases.
Phil Larson of 702 First Avenue told the council he has repeatedly observed a nearby property with a trailer, heavy equipment and cars parked on the public right-of-way and sidewalk, saying the obstruction forces pedestrians into the street. “They've been on the sidewalk for how many years? I mean, it's been at least four years,” Larson said.
Larson asked why the police department or city had not ticketed or towed the vehicles and said he was reluctant to file a formal complaint because of privacy concerns: “If you're worried about your name being on it ... someone could request it. It's public information at that point.”
A city staff member responded that permission had been granted to the previous owner and that past street foremen had judged it not to hinder snow removal. The staff member said the city will check with the current street foreman and that enforcement would follow if the parking prevents snowplowing. The staff member also said some properties are already being served under the new ordinance and that the complaint form is a tracking mechanism.
No formal enforcement action was taken at the meeting. The exchange ended with staff explaining the difference between a public meeting record and the complaint-tracking form, and council moved on to the next agenda item.
