Updated parking ordinance takes effect in Jackson

After several months of research and debate over whether to allow recreational vehicles to be parked on Jackson city streets, Jackson's code of ordinances have been updated to address on-street parking.

The added section doesn't mention recreational vehicles specifically; it only states vehicles parked on a street can't interfere with vehicular movement in a street, or in and out of a driveway.

In March, Alderman Larry Cunningham proposed a change in Jackson's on-street parking allowances, since he had heard from constituents a particular owner of a recreational vehicle was obeying the letter of the law, but creating a traffic hazard.

The ordinance previously required vehicles parked on the street to be moved at least three feet once every consecutive 72 hours.

During a public hearing held Apr. 2, concerned citizens requested a less restrictive approach than the originally-considered total ban.

Jackson city attorney Tom Ludwig had previously told the Southeast Missourian the ordinance draft he had written to address recreational-vehicle parking was inadequate.

Ludwig had said there was difficulty in writing that ordinance, and opted instead to write an ordinance that would be simpler, and hopefully more effective.

"I think this will be an effective tool for our police department to deal with this issue of vehicles obstructing moving in and out of a driveway or along a street," Ludwig had said.

Capt. Scott Eakers with the Jackson police department said the ordinance doesn't change much, from the department's perspective.

"We acted on a complaint basis before," Eakers said Wednesday.

The original complaint from neighbors of the recreational-vehicle owner was assessed by officers and found to be compliant with the law, Eakers said.

"But now if they're going to handle it as an obstruction of traffic ordinance, we'll handle those on a complaints-driven basis," Eakers said.

Administrative services director Rodney Bollinger said the ordinance passed unanimously at Monday's regular Board of Aldermen meeting.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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