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
slimy bit of business. Change the ordinance but not the signs? sounds like bull—- to me.
This is the first I’ve heard of the change to the parking ordinance. I understand that cars need to be out of the roadway during plowing operations but now it’s even when the roads are clear and not a storm or plow in sight for 6 months of the year.
No change to the signs warning of this new law, no notification to the public, just ticketing people $200 who are parked off to the side of the road. Nice one city council!!! At least JoAnn Conner did the right thing and voted no on this rip off scam.
I’ll warn my friends not to stop by for a visit if my driveway has both cars in it as the only other place to park is on the shoulder in front of my house.
“Welcome to Tahoe, here’s your ticket, now move along before you get another one.” Thats a heck of a way to greet our much needed tourists. As for the locals? Just use the phone or e mail to talk to your friends. You can always walk or ride your bike, but be careful that may be the next mode of transportation that will be ticketed.
Pretty soon all vehicle traffic will be so restricted, the only cars on the road will be public agencies, law enforcement and officials, but then maybe thats been the idea all along.
We pay for the streets but it’s becoming apparent we’re not supposed to use them. What a crazy town this has become. OLS
This change is terrible! As a follow-up, can you provide the email address which would send any email objection to this ordinance, to the entire City Council & City Manager? We need to have the change rescinded!
The City Council must have ice-on-the-brain to think this is ok. What a bunch of jerks – JoAnn excluded.
To the city council,
The new law voted in last summer to allow ticketing people $200 for 6 months of the year for parking on the shoulder of the road is terrible. But I will say it will be quite a large source of revenue.
Can you imagine during the holiday season how many cars can be ticketed at $200 a pop during Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years? lets not forget snowglobe! Lots of people in town equals lots of tickets, equals lots of money for the city. Of course the people who get a ticket after they came all the way here for a turkey dinner with family and friends won’t come back, but who cares. We’re not here to make people enjoy there stay in tahoe, we’re here to rip them off. You guys and gals on the city council are marketing geniuses!!!
Of course those people won’t come back to SLT anymore, but hey, who cares? There’s always more people that will come here and then they’ll get ticketed. As the old saying goes “there’s a sucker born every minute”. And here I was thinking that you actually cared about this community… Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh, as I know your hearts are in the right place, but please consider rescinding this ordinance and return it to its original form. Only while snow removal conditions exist will you be fined.
Do the community and yourselves a favor and get rid of this terrible law. Okay? OLS
You can email the city Manager at nkerry@cityofslt.us or call her at
Nancy Kerry,
City Manager
Office: 530-542-6043
Cell #: 530-307-3237
Without changing the signs, anyone would have a good argument claiming entrapment. Now for the other side. Many streets during winter conditions don’t have sufficient space for shoulder parking during winter conditions. When shoulder parking is permitted, the shoulder snow gets packed down and quickly becomes a slick slab of ice. This situation is excessively hazardous. There are two steps used by snow removal equipment. The first step, as we all know, is the initial removal of fresh fallen snow. The second step is when equipment returns to widen the streets. The widening is necessary after large storms have resulted in narrow streets. There is no way the public can be educated to know when it is okay to park on a street, and when it is not. I think the change was necessary to keep the streets clear. Hence, I agree with the change by city council. I don’t agree with the failure to change the signs, or the failure to inform the public about the change.
While foolish city ordinances like this might initially cause some to suspect that they are simply the result of too many unnecessary bureaucrats with too much idle time on their hands, this new 6-month total parking ban on city streets begins to make sense when one realizes it now allows the city the flexibility to operate its streetsweepers with no obstructions such as parked cars in winter months during years like this when there is no snow, thus keeping city staff fully engaged with ample funding provided via these $200 tickets, without layoffs or shortened hours.
When I lived in Minneapolis such an ordinance would have been in effect only after Snow Emergency had been declared by the city. It works very well and does the intended job. Hardly any revenue for the city from such an ordinance. Offending cars would be ticketed and towed.
It seems the city will do anything for a buck. Why are they so desperate to find new money to spend. No parking during snow removal operations makes sense, However during clear days when the sun is out and no snow plows are operating, That’s ridiculous.
Let me get this straight if a have a few friends over for a football game or game night where would you like them park if they cannot park on the side of the street? Maybe the city wants to shuttle them to my home for me.
As for the comment that some streets are to narrow, then ex plane to me why the city has decided to make some of our city streets narrower. It seems to me that the City Council creates one problem after another for all of us to deal with and I see no end in sight
Remember we voted these people into office! We also need to remember all of this when the next election comes along as to not make the same foolish mistake again
Another Comment : There are seasons when there is no snow on the ground during most of November and the snow has nearly all melted by April 15th. What language could be adopted into the parking ordinance so that we don’t have to worry about getting a ticket when there is no snow at all? According to the wording of the ordinance, we could get a ticket when there is no snow at all. And, don’t expect us to trust you, city council.
This has been a fiasco from the beginning. The city council has defied the will of the people of slt long enough. They should all be replaced by people who actually listen.
Ticket only during declared Snow Emergency. Otherwise summer parking rules apply.
Citations for blocking snow removal operations, can only be given when a vehicle is actually blocking snow removal operations. In July/August of 2012, clarifications to the definition of the time frame “Snow Season” were added to the City’s Code, along with several other clarifications to definitions relating to snow removal operations.
The July 2012 staff report from City Attorney’s Office (linked below) explains why they were recommending that definition and several others be clarified. No changes to the amount of the fines were made.
http://slt.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=6&clip_id=533&meta_id=51386
In addition, the City’s Code makes it explicitly clear that parking “is allowed” on streets as soon as the snow is cleared:
Section 26-40.1 “Seasonal Parking Exception, Where snow removal operations no longer exist, parking may be resumed on individual streets where designated parking spaces are marked and have been cleared as soon as snow plowing has been completed on the full width of the street right-of-way, except that no overnight parking shall be allowed within 50 feet of snow storage areas.”
If anyone receives a citation for blocking snow removal operations, during a time when snow plows are not operating, please call me directly and we can verify the accuracy of the citation by checking snow plow logs.
Nancy Kerry
530-307-3237 (cell)
Ms. Kerry:
Thank you for the clarification. Now there’s no more need for the “tempest in a teapot” mindset!
Individuals feeling exceptionally worked up over this should now take their blood pressure reducing medication, or perhaps some would just prefer a very large cocktail.
Thank you Nancy Kerry for setting me straight on the parking on city streets. I went off all halfcocked and I apologise to the council and to you for making wild claims that turned out to be false. I read more into the letter sent to LTN by Mike Keck than was there or simply misunderstood what the writer was saying.
Ya know, maybe you are the best city manager we’ve ever had (to paraphrase Hal Cole) . Once again my apologies to any I offended.
Thanks for the speedy reply so I didn’t put my foot any further into my mouth!!! Sincerely, Old Long Skiis
Now 4mer-usmc, about that large cocktail, maybe a little later in the day…we shall see.
Nancy, the exception you quoted “parking may be resumed on individual streets where designated parking spaces are marked”, does not address the majority of parking within the City. I do not know of very many spaces that are actually marked, which would indicate there’s no exception from Nov 1 to April 30th. My question is, why did the City make this change to the ordinance in the first place? Why wasn’t it left to read as it was originally written, which is that parking is allowed during non snow removal conditions. At minimum, it is a poorly written ordinance, and is obviously causing confusion. It seems to me that the new ordinance wording needs to be removed altogether. Additionally, I went to the link you provided. So does that mean the new ordinance is unenforcable unless new signs are placed indicating the new rules?
I did not misunderstand what the ordinance says. The exception that the City Manager quoted says “parking may be resumed on individual streets where designated parking spaces are marked”. There is no exception for unmarked spaces, which are the norm in residential areas. Also the link that Nancy gave for the rational of changing the wording does not explain why the change was made in the first place. It reads “This change is necessary in light of California Vehicle Code section 22510 which states that any local ordinance or resolution which prohibits parking of vehicles for the purpose of snow removal shall be ineffective unless the local authority “post[s] in a conspicuous place at each entrance to the street or highway, a notice not less than 17 inches by 22 inches in size, with lettering not less than one inch in height, setting forth the days parking is prohibited. The signs shall, at a minimum, be placed on each affected street or highway, at the boundary of the local authority, and at the beginning and end of each highway or highway segment included in that area.”
The point I think the City Manager is trying to make in her last comment is that the old ordinance was unenforceable because of lack of signage and the fix was to make parking illegal for the season, leaving enforcement up to interpretation. The reality is, the way the new ordinance is written makes it illegal to park on any City street, that has unmarked parking, from Nov1 to April 30th. If this was never the City’s intent, then clearly that ordinance needs to be removed or changed. I am aware of people that have actually received tickets based on how the new ordinance is written, which is why I wrote this letter in the first place.
The clarification to the definition was intended to specify the dates of the snow season period in response to conerns the time period “winter” was vague. State law requires signs be posted so people know they are entering or leaving a location of snow removal operations.
However, it sounds like additional clarification or changes may be necessary; I’ll bring these questions to the City Attorney’s attention.
PORKED
Okay, now I’m all confused on this parking ticket thing during winter months. My best guess is, if it snows, make sure your vehicle is off the road. “Same as it ever was”, (David Byrne, Talking heads; 1981(?) . 4mer-usmc, Cheers!
OLS
Long Ski:
Ah yes–I believe you’re referring to the use of “common sense”. Sounds like a plan to me.
OLS and 4-mer what a breath of fresh air! We don’t need more signs with more rules all over town. It’s called sign polution.
So. The argument boils down to either a lack of signs in town saying you can’t park on the street because it snows, or, blanket wording that you can’t park on the street (unless no snow and marked) during the winter time. I am kind of with others on this thread that you can’t butter bread on both sides. We need signs in both cases. Perhaps warnings instead of tickets until the signs are in place?
What happens if we get a big dump outside of the designated dates of nov 1 through april ? It happens all the time. This is probably when the common sense thing kicks in however we know that common sense isnt always practiced.
Bunch of Ta-holes.
There are NO MARKED parking slots on any streets in the residential area of Sierra Tract! However, the parking enforcement officer that drives around our neighborhood all the time in the blue parking-enforcement truck, must live in Sierra Tract! Change the language back; it was clear enough.
And, I am not interested in supplementing salaries during slow work periods – that is what State unemployment is for. If there are problem areas, send warning tickets to owners of record.
Funny how we lived through the record breaking winters in the 1980’s with a much larger year round population without this BS law.
These government leach parking people need to go. The war on cars is BS!!!
You are right Sunriser2. That’s why the council does not want us to vote, because the parking program will be gone for good! Vote out the parking program or vote out council members who will not let us vote. City attorney forgot one option recall election.
Thanks Nancy for correcting some information that seemed to be misguided. Your communicating with the community on this type of issue is appreciated
As unpopular as this law may be, I support it completely. I lived in the Tahoe City area for 26 years. The county of Placer (no city there) has the same law and you will get a ticket unless you have filed for a parking variance because you lacked proper off street parking because of the age of the house. It makes no difference whether it has snowed or not. I wish the county of El Dorado had it also. I live in the county. My neighbor drives a plow for the county and leaves his vehicle parked on the street during storms (what few they may be) The plow goes around his car leaves a huge berm in my driveway and a huge mess in the street once the car is moved. Complaints to the county and the Sheriff were useless. It continues this year even though the county ordinance specifically states no parking during snow removal periods. There is sufficient parking in the driveway. The same ordinance is in effect in many other mountain communities where it snows. In Placer county you learned to deal with it and created or made arrangements for parking for the household and potential guests. It is more for safety and insuring that emergency vehicles may have cleared roadways than it is a revenue generator. (Of course, here I could be wrong considering the recent parking meter snafu.) It is not a problem of not enough residential parking at your house, it is a problem that you either own too many cars or are too lazy to clear the snow for them.