Over-night parking curbed
Beginning Nov. 15, the Logan City Police will ticket cars that are parked on the street between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., in accordance with a seasonal city policy designed to allow for nighttime snow removal.
The ordinance, which will be in effect through Feb. 28, 2006, will be suspended, weather permitting, for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, according to Sergeant Dennis Simonson of the Logan City Police Department. Simonson said people tend to have lots of family visiting and spending the night during those times and the city tries to accommodate them.
“It’s just as a courtesy to our citizens,” Simonson said. “I don’t remember a Thanksgiving where we haven’t honored that.”
Dan Lacy of the Logan City Parking Authority said the exact dates of the exemption are scheduled to be Nov. 23-27 and Dec. 24-Jan. 2, weather permitting. He cautioned people not to get confused about when they can park on the street by remembering that the ordinance begins at 1 a.m., which is usually the day after people have parked their cars.
“So if you park on the street the night of Nov. 22, even though the exemption starts the 23rd, you’ll be OK,” Lacy said. “But don’t park there the night of the 27th, because when 1 a.m. rolls around, the exemption is over.”
Simonson said the exemption will only be in place if the weather is good. He said he will watch the weather reports in the days preceding the scheduled exemption times and if the weather looks favorable, will send out a press release notifying the public that they may park on the street.
“If we unexpectedly get a large storm, I just don’t send out the press release,” Simonson said. “Obviously, if we get stormed in, that will take priority.”
Some streets in the city are not subject to the ordinance, Lacy said, including the area by the fraternity houses between 900 North and 700 North on the west side of the street and the area by the LDS temple between 200 North and 300 North on the west side of the street. He said residents who don’t know if their street is exempt probably aren’t.
Any vehicle that is parked on the street overnight will be cited, and if deemed a traffic hazard, may be subject to impound by the Logan City Police Department, he said. The tickets cost $15 if they are paid within 10 days of issue and $30 after that.
Lacy said citizens with extenuating circumstances may apply for an exemption, but they are not easy to get and won’t be given out for things like Christmas parties.
“Besides, generally, people go home after parties,” Lacy said. “They don’t park overnight anyway.”
He said exemptions are given to people who are really in need.
“Typically, [residents] are not going to get an exemption,” Lacy said. “I mean, they can. Sometimes they’ll have a funeral with a lot of family staying over at their house. Typically, it’s some big life event. But you’re not just going to get an exemption because you want one.”
Anyone who wishes to obtain an exemption should call the on-duty supervisor at the Logan City Police Department at 716-9300 and should be ready to provide their name, description of the vehicle to be parked on the street and the vehicle’s license plate number, Lacy said.
-jenbeasley@cc.usu.edu