City of Lincoln passes amendment to city code to eliminate prolonged parking loophole

 

[December 05, 2022] 

Lincoln Aldermen have approved by unanimous vote an amendment to city code 9-5-10(b)(1) regarding extended parking of vehicles, recreational vehicle, pull-behind campers, trailers, and other such items from prolonged periods of parking curbside in front of residences.

The request to amend the city code was brought to the council at the November 15th Committee of the Whole meeting by outgoing Chief of Police Matt Vlahovich. He explained that the city had a 72-hour parking restriction that was being abused. The original restriction had been intended to give Lincoln constituents to opportunity to “temporarily” park wheeled conveyances curbside up to 72 hours while the resident secured a permanent parking location for the conveyance.

Instead, Vlahovich said residents were watching the clock and instead of finding permanent storage for these nuisance vehicles, they would run out, move the item a few feet or drive it around the block and park it again, and the 72-hour clock would start over.

Vlahovich said that it was a loophole that needed to be closed and could be closed by adding the phrase “for use or cause.” The addition of the phrase would allow the city to demand that for example, a camper that is parked on the street during the winter, would have to be moved or towed away at the owner’s expense.

At the same time, if someone had to park a vehicle on the street during the weekend and would be driving it again on Monday, that item would be parked “with cause or use.”

The change in the rule is something that is not new to the council. The same topic was discussed several years ago with the hopes of having the same end result. However, at that time, alderman David Wilmert worked to come up with an allowance that would permit constituents to park those same items in storage on their property. The council got bogged down in that part of the change, and nothing came of it.

This time, Vlahovich offered no alternative solution for the resident, and the council did not pursue it. Therefore, on November 21, 2022, the change to the city code passed by unanimous vote.

Mayor Tracy Welch said that noted issues within the city would be addressed with a letter to the constituent advising that the offensive item must be removed from street parking.

[Nila Smith]