Council talks trailers, abandoned vehicles; praises Scouts

The Havre City Council passed revisions of two ordinances Monday night meant to address parking on city streets - one pertaining to recreational vehicles and trailers, the other to abandoned vehicles.

Both were approved 5-0 by the council. Council members Terry Lilletvedt, Karen Swenson and Matthew Boucher were absent.

As under the previous ordinance, RV and trailer owners will be able to remain parked on city streets for a period of no more than 48 hours.

"We think that is a good period of time for people to load and unload their trailer when using them," City Council President Andrew Brekke said.

Those who park longer will be subject to a $100 fine on the first offense, $200 for the second offense and $300 on the third and possible removal and impoundment.

Brekke said the issue of trailers and RVs parked on streets was raised last year and then taken up by the Council's ordinance committee.

He added that since Havre Animal Control Officer Pete Federspiel began enforcing the city's traffic codes, he began to see that the laws on the books lacked an enforcement mechanism and a set of penalties.

In June, council members also said they received complaints from residents who did not want to see so many trailers and were concerned that the trailers prevented drivers pulling out of side streets from having a clear view of oncoming traffic.

Trailer and RV owners too complained that 48 hours was not sufficient time to load or unload their trailers and needed to be able to remain stationary on the streets for a longer period.

Brekke said that initially the committee wanted to be more accommodating about people wanting to park RVs on city streets.

Extended parking, though, could lead to trailers further encroaching on street corners and the driveways of property owners, said.  

"It's really something that we don't want to encourage," he said.

Brekke said the issue also led to a discussion about parking in general.

A second law put forth by the committee pertained to vehicles parked on public streets.

Existing law said that a vehicle can remain parked on the street for five consecutive days but never described an abandonment procedure or defined how far a vehicle had to be moved to be legally parked, Brekke said.

He said that, under the old ordinance, if a call was made reporting that an abandoned or disabled vehicle was occupying a certain place on the street for a long period of time, police would chalk the tires and see if the vehicle moved. After five days the police would ticket the vehicle.

"Well, moving just a few inches forward or backward the chalk line would move and reset," Brekke said.

Brekke said the changes say that a vehicle must be moved one vehicle length after five consecutive days to not be in violation.

The ordinance change pertains to vehicles that are left unattended and parked on any public way and either impedes traffic or represents a danger to people, he said.

It also applies to vehicles situated in a no-parking zone, in a parking zone or handicapped parking zone for more than six hours, or occupying a handicapped parking space on a public way for more than six hours.

The ordinance says those found guilty of an offense will face a fine of no less than $10 and no more than $300.

In other business, the council unanimously ratified a collective bargaining agreement for city dispatchers for fiscal year 2017 with the local chapter of the Montana Public Employees Association.

Mayor Tim Solomon said that the only change in the agreement was a 2 percent raise.

"Other than that, it is the exact same claim as last year," he said.  

The council also unanimously approved a mayor's proclamation observing Feb. 5-11 as National Boy Scout week.

Bill Lanier, committee chair for Scout Troop 1438 attended the meeting and was accompanied by two Boy Scouts and two Venture Scouts.