Benton Harbor city leaders are considering some changes to local parking rules to ensure the streets can be plowed more effectively come next winter.
At a meeting of the city Legislative Committee this week, City Manager Alex Little explained an amendment planned for the ordinance governing emergency snow routes. After a rough winter this past year, the city is including “secondary streets” to the language prohibiting parking in snow emergency routes.
Little said they’re doing it now to have a whole year to let residents know about the change.
“Let people know where they are on side streets,” Little said. “We want to look at parking one day on one side of the street, another on the other side, so that it’s easier for us to go through and plow and not have the kind of problem that we had this year. And certainly also to make residents aware that when vehicles are not moved and they’re left there, that they’re going to get towed away.”
The new rule will clarify where parking is not allowed when plows are active so they don’t encounter vehicles blocking their routes. Commissioners wondered if signage will need to be put up, and Little said that is likely.
The amendment could come to the full city commission soon.
