Committee orders ordinance draft to curb overnight campers and discusses towing, permits and enforcement limits

The committee moved to ask the city's legal counsel to draft an ordinance that would prevent campers, RVs and related units from being parked overnight on city streets and to explore permitting and enforcement mechanisms.

The police chief told the committee officers had identified 46 campers and boats; "there are 23 that are still active... we've towed a total of 18... we've sent 11 for destruction and we have currently 7, that are pending pickup," and said many registered units are legally allowable on public streets, limiting enforcement options unless another violation (noise, safety) can be attached. The chief and councillors discussed potential local time limits for street parking (examples of 24 to 72 hours were raised), special short-term permits for guest parking and the difficulty of preventing “cat and mouse” tactics if a rule does not precisely define location and duration.

Assistant Deputy Chief Carolla and DFFM staff told the committee that the city is seeking contractual arrangements with tow firms to accept and, where needed, destroy oversized units; staff cited a demolition rate of roughly $100 per foot. Councillors pressed for cost breakdowns and asked whether the administration could assess the return-on-investment for a municipal towing yard or fleet. Legal counsel warned that any ordinance must be drafted with enforceable definitions to avoid unintended loopholes and to enable officers to act without violating vehicle and registration law.