Among the changes is an ordinance specifying that trailers that are unattached from their tow vehicle will no longer be permitted to be parked on the roadway at any time, according to the city. That includes campers, boat trailers, flatbed trailers, car haulers, box trailers, cargo trailers and any other trailer designed to carry passengers or property.
Unattached trailers are subject to towing in addition to parking citations.
In addition, all vehicles that remain parked, standing or abandoned upon any street for a continuous 48-hour period will be designated as obstructions to traffic and may be removed from the right-of-way, according to the new ordinance.
Vehicles parked on the roadway for longer than 48 continuous hours are subject to towing in addition to parking citations.
City Engineer Alisha Burcham brought the measure before council in January, Mayor Teri Murphy said. Council members unanimously approved the ordinance in February.
Parking violations of those kind have “always” been an issue in the city, Murphy said.
“You can just drive through some of our neighborhoods and go ‘Oh my Lord,’” she said. “It’s been an issue for a long time. We’re getting negative feedback like you would with anything else, but a lot of people have wanted this for a long time.”
Those who are charged with a parking violation would then appear in Mayor’s Court, she said.
“It’s not like we’re going to drive around (looking for violations),” Murphy said. “A lot of people, what they have asked is ‘Well, if I leave it out on the street’ ... (but) mostly it’s the trailers. What they do is unhitch them and just leave them there.”
The updated ordinances involve all roadways in Moraine including highways, through roadways, residential streets, cul-de-sacs, dead-end streets and other thoroughfares, the city said.
Officials say they realize the new rule will affect some residents that have used the roadway to temporarily park trailers and vehicles. Those residents are advised to make plans now to remove their long-term parked vehicles and trailers from the roadway.
For more information, contact Moraine Police Department Community Service Officer Jerry Dunn at 937-535-1180.
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