Restrictions for on-street parking for RVs, campers and large trailers within Powell city limits go into effect Jan. 1 following several Powell City Council meetings and public discussions.

Pedestrian safety, particularly around school zones, was what sparked discussion for the ordinance, Councilman John Wetzel said during Monday’s council meeting.

“RVs block the sight as they (children) make their way to school,” Wetzel said.

Ordinance No. 20 went through a series of amendments on second reading in late July, following a discussion between local campers and the council. The amendments included the following:

• People may sleep in RVs and campers parked on city streets.

• There are no time limits for water hose and electrical connections.

Campers, RVs, and trailers may only be parked along city streets for as long as the owner wants during the summer months, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Outside of that time frame, there is a 48-hour time limit for on-street parking.

The ordinance also limits RV and camper parking in front of other people’s homes for extended periods of time.

A similar ordinance unanimously passed second reading Monday. Ordinance No. 21 limits parking vehicles in front of other people’s homes to less than 24 hours.

Discussion of Ordinance No. 20 was ongoing between council members and concerned RV and camper owners on Monday.

Powell resident Maynard Brown requested the time frame be extended out to May 1 through Sept. 30.

“It takes me more than 48 hours to get my rig ready to go to make sure the refrigeration is working and to do spring cleaning and such,” Brown said.

As an alternative to extending the time for on-street parking, Brown proposed allowing residents to request a variance for an additional 48 hours when prepping their equipment for the upcoming camping season or winter storage.

Councilman Eric Paul said he also heard requests for extending the time to include the week before Memorial Day weekend and out to Sept. 30 or Oct. 1.

“People aren’t opposing what we are doing, but they say if we are putting in arbitrary dates, then let’s make them realistic around the (camping) season,” Paul said.

Powell resident Zack Coombs suggested May 15 through Sept. 15 so campers don’t violate the ordinance while preparing for the season or for storage.

“Otherwise, I will be up all night getting the camper ready to go for Memorial Day weekend,” Coombs said.

As with many city ordinances, violation would be a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $750.

The penalty for ordinance violations is discretionary, deputy city attorney Scott Kath said during the July 20 council meeting. If charged with the violation, a judge would decide how much to fine the offender.

A citation will likely be written if a neighbor complains, said Powell City Attorney Sandee Kitchen.

Councilmen Josh Shorb and Floyd Young said they were open to extending the time period out further.

Mayor Don Hillman said the comments he heard from the public were to allow 48 hours or a week of on-street parking year-round.

“We came up with a good compromise for Memorial Day to Labor Day,” Hillman said. “This is a pretty good compromise.”

Extending the time for on-street parking would end up with six months on and six months off, Wetzel said, describing it as “a can of worms.”

“We can’t appease everyone in the town of Powell,” Councilman Jim Hillberry said as he moved to pass Ordinance No. 20. “Let’s give it a year and see where we go — if we need to modify that, we can do that in the future.”

Ordinance No. 20 was unanimously approved unchanged and will go into effect on Jan. 1.