September 20, 2004
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Council discusses parking
Saturday, October 2, 2004 Posted 3:50 p.m.
Parking on Maple, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Street was discussed at Monday night's council meeting.
Parking on those streets impedes the regular flow of traffic,
emergency vehicles. Vehicles larger than an average car have difficulty getting
past the parked vehicles in that location.
The issue was brought up during the September 14, city council meeting. However, it was tabled indefinitely until City Administrator Trent Smith can speak with Fieldcrest Superintendent Dr. Michael Stagliano.
Initially, the council discussed a solution that would limit parking to two hours on Maple Avenue between Fourth and Sixth Street, Mary Street between Fourth and Sixth Street and Fifth Street between Locust Street and Maple Avenue, between 7:30-4 p.m. while school is in session.
However, there were several council members who did not think this would be an ideal solution.
Alderman Bill Koos went further, saying the council should not address parking in only one area of the city. He said that if parking in the city is a problem then it should be addressed in all problematic areas.
Koos used football games and special events as examples of times when certain areas have parking issues.
However, if the issue of parking on the mentioned streets is an issue because of the school, Koos said that the school should address the problem.
Alderman Sean Cunningham also expressed he would like to see further investigation on the matter before the council takes action.
Cunningham stated that he visited Maple Street twice last week and counted six cars parked there. He counted 16 empty parking spaces in the school lot.
City Administrator Trent Smith stated that North Maple Avenue, specifically during a sporting event, while causing an inconvenience to traffic, does not impeded th city's public works vehicles, as they are generally not in operation during these events.
Also, ambulances are not impeded during sporting events because they are already at the event and do not leave through that avenue.
Discussion of city ward system:
The council has been discussing the possibility of changing its current ward system.
This was brought up by Cunningham at the last meeting because, he said that there have been instances where alderman have been forced to resign because they moved only a few blocks down.
The council heard its attorney, Jay Greening, speak regarding the issue.
Essentially, in order for the city to change its current ward system it would have to put a referendum on the ballot, which could only be accomplished though a series of steps including a petition signed by no more than 10 percent of the people who voted in the last mayor's election.
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