Council may ban parked RVs on streets

Recreational vehicles may be banned from parking on streets within the city limits of Havre.

The Ordinance Committee of the Havre City Council voted Monday night to have city attorney Jim Kaze draft an ordinance prohibiting vehicles exceeding 28 feet in length from parking on city streets, year-round.

"We need to redefine our ordinance, get the proper language and enforce it," council and committee member Rick Pierson said.

The Ordinance Committee began reviewing the current parking ordinance at the request of Havre Police Chief Mike Barthel. He said the current ordinance does not actually apply to motor homes and other recreational vehicles and is not enforceable.

At a meeting on June 14, committee members discussed an ordinance that would allow RVs to park on city streets between May 1 and Sept. 30. At the request of the City Council, Kaze drafted a new ordinance that would allow "trailers" - including camper trailers, flatbed trailers, travel trailers, car haulers, motor homes, and pickup campers - to be parked on city streets between May 1 and Sept. 30. It further stated, "any trailer parked in violation may be removed, at the owner's expense."

The committee reviewed the draft ordinance and heard public comment on the proposal. The matter was then tabled until Barthel could be present for comment.

Barthel said Monday night that on a recent drive through town, he found 47 RVs parked on city streets. He said he's received a number of complaints from residents, concerned that RVs are creating a safety hazard for drivers.

Barthel presented committee members with a parking ordinance from the city of Colstrip - a community Barthel said recently faced the same issues with RV parking.

Colstrip's ordinance, effective July 1, 2004, states - "All vehicles and/or motor vehicles which exceed twenty-eight feet in length, such length to include any extension of the vehicle, may not be parked upon an street or City property for a period of longer than forty-eight consecutive hours."

The Colstrip ordinance was well-received by members of the Ordinance Committee.

"I like Colstrip's description, I think it would fit our city very well," committee and council member Tom Farnham said. "I like the wording - it's simple and concise. We need to make our ordinance enforceable and clear."

The committee voted to give Kaze a copy of Colstrip's ordinance - to be used as an example - so Kaze can draft an ordinance banning on-street RV parking in Havre.

"The (Havre) ordinance has not been changed since the 1960s," Barthel said. He added hat the ordinance was originally written to prevent transients from taking up residence on the streets of Havre.

The current ordinance allows "auto trailers" - defined as any vehicles designed for living or sleeping and capable of moving from place to place - to be stored on the owner's property, but prohibits street parking except for tourists, who can park on the street for up to 48 hours.

"We want an ordinance that we can enforce. The current verbiage of the ordinance, according to the city attorney, cannot be enforced," Barthel said. "It should be black and white. There shouldn't be a gray area."

A public hearing and City Council vote must take place before a new ordinance is adopted.