New county ordinance can help drive away nuisance parking

Until now, citizens have been frustrated by legal restrictions that prevented deputies from resolving many irritating parking problems. Here are some of your favorites:

• Junkers and vehicles with expired tags parked on the street
• Motor homes, RVs, boats, travel trailers stored indefinitely on the street
• People living in vehicles on the street
• Parked vehicles blocking mailboxes

Thanks to teamwork by your government employees from the Sheriff's Office, County Counsel, Land Use & Transportation, and the Board of Commissioners, we have a new ordinance to help in the unincorporated areas of the county that lie within the Metro Urban Growth Boundary. The changes went into effect October 21, 2010.

Once a notice is posted on the vehicle, there is no chalking of tires or "shell games" necessary. Vehicles will be subject to immediate towing, even if they are tagged and the owner moves the vehicle to a new location that violates the same ordinance. Read the new ordinance at the county's website and view a slide show with examples of the problems this ordinance can eliminate.

If you have any questions, feel free to email our Civil Unit Supervisor, Tim Leader, or call him at (503) 846-2520. To report a parking problem, please contact non-emergency dispatch at (503) 629-0111.

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