Letter: $200 parking tickets in South Lake Tahoe

To the community,

At a time when many locals are struggling to make ends meet and tourists are in short supply, a change to the parking rules have caught some by surprise in the form of a $200 parking ticket.

Last summer the entire City Council with the exception of JoAnn Conner voted in favor of Ordinance 1055 that changed the definition of “no parking on street including shoulders during snow removal operations” to read “city streets and street right-of-way be kept clear of snow and other obstructions (automobiles) during the snow season, which is defined as from N. 1 to April 30 of each year.” This means that large parts of the city, where it is legal to park in the summer months, have been made into no parking zones punishable by a $200 fine for six months out of the year, regardless of snow removal conditions.

As we all know, parking in South Lake Tahoe is a limited commodity. Many homes have no usable driveway. Access to many of the local trails require street parking. Some schools and public buildings have only enough parking to handle staff, and some business rely on street parking for their customers. It is common sense that street parking should be restricted during the snow removal process but simply restricting parking for half of the year makes no sense at all.

Additionally, there is no requirement in the new ordinance to update signage to reflect the new rules. The signs currently reflect the old ordinance, “no parking during snow removal operations.” There is nothing to indicate to the public that they could receive a $200 parking ticket if they park on these streets at any time from Nov. 1 to April 30.

I do not know why it was deemed necessary to make this change to the parking ordinance. But I find it interesting that at a time when the city has expanded its parking enforcement there is a changing of the rules resulting in a substantial fine and the ability for the City to wright more tickets. If you have been affected by this new ordnance or simply do not like idea of not being able to legally park on City streets and right-of-way six months out of the year, please contact your city councilmember or the city manager.

Here is the link to the wording of ordinance 1055.

Mike Keck, South Lake Tahoe