Etna Expands Parking Ban, Shelves Other Changes After Hot Exchange
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jordan Fouts-
Council voted to extend a midnight to 6 a.m. parking ban on Walnut Street from downtown south to High Street in order to make snow removal easier. They’ve been discussing the restriction since there was still snow on the ground, and last month found a law already on the books that they decided to expand.
A handful of residents expressed disatisfaction Tuesday despite council President Andy Cook’s assurance that the law would only be enforced in emergencies or for nuisance vehicles. Resident Cheryl Cook accused council of lying when they invited the community to help find a solution.
“I got a slap in the face – what I got was, ‘We’ve got a towing truck and we already have an ordinance from 30 years ago that more intelligent committees didn’t enforce,’” she told council.
Town attorney Jay Rigdon interjected at one point, saying the issue is that residents couldn’t agree on a way to notify everyone when vehicles need moved during a snow emergency. No suggestion, from Facebook and mass texts to looking out the window to check for snow or a warning sticker on a car, proved satisfactory.
Council tabled a plan to establish parallel parking on both sides of Walnut Street downtown after further debate, with residents arguing that parking spaces would be lost and that freeing street space might encourage speeding. Council members argued that it’s a safety issue, with cars backing out of angled spaces blindly or possibly blocking stop signs.
Andy Cook drew up the plan for 23-foot-long spaces with a 15-foot buffer from stop signs. The parking change would also allow for businesses to have two dedicated spots in front.
Also Tuesday, council approved a $44,500 bid from Borntrager Inc. to repair the roof of the park building; $2,450 for the Leary Construction Co. to inspect the town water tower; and a $250 yearly contribution to the Kosciusko County Economic Development Corp.
They also[[In-content Ad]]
Council voted to extend a midnight to 6 a.m. parking ban on Walnut Street from downtown south to High Street in order to make snow removal easier. They’ve been discussing the restriction since there was still snow on the ground, and last month found a law already on the books that they decided to expand.
A handful of residents expressed disatisfaction Tuesday despite council President Andy Cook’s assurance that the law would only be enforced in emergencies or for nuisance vehicles. Resident Cheryl Cook accused council of lying when they invited the community to help find a solution.
“I got a slap in the face – what I got was, ‘We’ve got a towing truck and we already have an ordinance from 30 years ago that more intelligent committees didn’t enforce,’” she told council.
Town attorney Jay Rigdon interjected at one point, saying the issue is that residents couldn’t agree on a way to notify everyone when vehicles need moved during a snow emergency. No suggestion, from Facebook and mass texts to looking out the window to check for snow or a warning sticker on a car, proved satisfactory.
Council tabled a plan to establish parallel parking on both sides of Walnut Street downtown after further debate, with residents arguing that parking spaces would be lost and that freeing street space might encourage speeding. Council members argued that it’s a safety issue, with cars backing out of angled spaces blindly or possibly blocking stop signs.
Andy Cook drew up the plan for 23-foot-long spaces with a 15-foot buffer from stop signs. The parking change would also allow for businesses to have two dedicated spots in front.
Also Tuesday, council approved a $44,500 bid from Borntrager Inc. to repair the roof of the park building; $2,450 for the Leary Construction Co. to inspect the town water tower; and a $250 yearly contribution to the Kosciusko County Economic Development Corp.
They also[[In-content Ad]]
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