Washington street parking ordinance passes

WASHINGTON — In a series of unanimous votes on Wednesday, the Washington City Council enacted changes to the municipal parking code, opening up a third of downtown parking spaces on Thursday nights, where cars were previously prohibited to make way for street cleaning equipment.

The now-effective change allows cars to park in middle-of-the-road parking stalls around the square, but not along the curb. City Council Member Bethany Glinsmann had called the change “a no-brainer,” saying sweepers didn’t run though the center area.

In the same chapter governing street parking, the city put in writing a 2-hour limit on curbside parking for South Marion Avenue from Main Street to Washington Street. That rule was already the norm, according to city staff and signage already posted along the street.

The new language does not allow such parking during snow removal, which is governed by a different section of the ordinance code.

The changes became final after a motion to approve their second reading, as well as a routine waiving of rules that would otherwise require a third an final reading to wait another two weeks.

Municipal staff said the change was expected to pass going into Wednesday night’s meeting, with City Administrator Deanna McCusker saying new signs that acknowledged the change were already ordered.

In similarly uncontroversial votes on another city code chapter, the council approved revisions making note of already-installed stop signs around the Country Club Subdivision at Augusta National Boulevard and Country Club Road, Augusta National and South E Avenue, and Nutmeg Avenue and South E.

“There’s quite a bit of traffic out that way, now,” Council Member Illa Earnest said.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com