Marysville has a variety of rules on the books about parking in the Uptown.
One rule says cars need moved when there is more than two inches of snow on the ground. Another rule prohibits on-street parking in the Uptown between 3 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. daily. Still another limits on-street parking to two hours.
At a recent Public Service/Public Safety meeting, officials discussed how to make them more consistent and the need to enforce whatever rule the city has.
City officials said the matter came about as a result of the snow in Marysville’s Uptown earlier this winter.
“Every two or three years we get a substantial snow and it raises the issue back up,” Emery said.
He said the city snow plow drivers need to be able to get the streets clear.
“If our snow plow drivers could get to the curb when there is two inches of snow or more, it really would help us out quite a bit,” Emery said.
He said that would be helpful everywhere in the city, but especially in the Uptown.
Police Chief Floyd Golden said there is another issue.
“How do we determine the two inches?” Golden asked. He said there could be two inches in one area of town and less in others. He also questioned how the timing of the snow could impact the rule.
Council member Deb Groat, who sits on the committee, asked about tying the order to move vehicles with the county snow level emergency, that way, she said, “we connect it to something people are used to listening to.”
Golden said he doesn’t want to tow cars. He said it would be important to make sure residents in the area know about the rule as well as the possibility of snow.
City council member J.R. Rausch, who also sits on the committee, said enforcement of this could make another city goal — more people living in the Uptown — more difficult.
“As we get more residents in the Uptown, this is something we are going to need to be cognizant of,” Rausch said.
Golden said it is important to remember that not every apartment in the Uptown has a place to park except on the street.
Rausch said there are public parking lots that can be used for free.
Public Service Director Jeremy Hoyt questioned whether any changes would be a matter of policy or if they would need to be part of the city code.
Law Director Tim Aslaner said the wording of any legislation is “the tricky part.”
He said the specifics need to be, “codified in our city ordinances to be able to tow vehicles.”
He warned the group not to “overthink” the rule. He said it needs to be simple and allow for snow plow drivers to do their job.
Emery said he will meet with Street Superintendent Joe Tracey to confirm exactly what he would like and what would make it easiest for city street crews.
“We can bring back some options and maybe something we feel strongly with,” Emery said.
Groat stressed that any parking rule needs to be enforced. She said for too long, parking enforcement has been “lackadaisical.”
She said Uptown residents and business owners are accustomed to parking on the street and not in the lots.
Golden acknowledged that enforcement has been “sporadic.”
“It’s not that we don’t want to enforce the parking, it’s that we don’t have the mechanism,” the police chief said.
He explained that in years past, police would mark tires so they could know how long a vehicle has been parked. That practice, however, has been deemed unconstitutional.
He said there is a machine that can lawfully monitor how long a vehicle has been parked, but the upfront and monthly maintenance costs can be prohibitive.
Golden also suggested hiring a permanent, part-time parking enforcement position, similar to a meter maid. He said this would be a civilian position. The individual would work a rotating schedule.
Groat said that, “anything we do is going to be wildly unpopular,” noting it would be important to recognize the public backlash.
Rausch said he disagrees.
“If we started enforcing the two-hour parking, it would be wildly popular,” he said.
He added that if people got a couple tickets, “they would get back to parking at the free lot.”
Golden asked if the fine connected to a parking ticket should be increased. He said currently the fine is $10 for most parking offenses.
“Is it worth $10 to park Uptown all day? It may be,” Golden said.
Emery asked the committee to think about what they want might so it can be discussed at the next Public Service/Public Safety meeting in April.