By MorinvilleNews.com Staff
Sturgeon County – Council gave unanimous approval to first reading of a parking bylaw for Sturgeon County during its Nov. 9 regular meeting.
The proposed bylaw is a response to a Cardiff Pittsburgh resident who brought her concerns to County Council during its Aug. 24 meeting. During that meeting Suzanna Brownlie addressed the issue of recreational and commercial vehicles parking on the roadways in Cardiff Echoes and Cardiff Pittsburgh, and the potential dangers such parking created to motorists and pedestrians.
Sturgeon County’s Manager of Protective Services, Bart Clark, told council the proposed bylaw borrowed from the bylaws Brownlie brought with her in August as well as others.
Under the proposed bylaw, fines for various infractions would range from $100 to $200, a marked increase from the $30 to $50 fines that exist under the County’s current bylaw.
Once passed, commercial vehicles would be eligible for a $100 fine if parked on a highway for more than eight hours, while non-commercial vehicles would receive the same fine after 36 hours. Parking a trailer not attached to a vehicle could result in an immediate $100 fine. Additionally, vehicles in excess of 4,800 kilograms could receive a $200 fine if park in unauthorized areas.
In discussing the proposed parking bylaw, Division 2 Councillor Tom Flynn indicated he wanted to see a definition of highway included in the document, something he said was present in the County’s existing 19-year-old bylaw. Additionally, Flynn expressed an interest in seeing higher fines for vehicles that block fire lanes and emergency exits.
The parking bylaw will go before a public hearing sometime in January prior to being given second and third reading.
Having a tough bylaw in place is one thing. Enforcing it is another. On my street, I saw trailers of all types on the street all summer long. One neighbor even had his daughter living in a holiday trailer while they renovated their house. It sat on the street for over six weeks.