Potential parking changes coming to Russellville

RUSSELLVILLE, Mo. - The Russellville Board of Aldermen is considering an update to an ordinance regulating proper places to park following numerous complaints about residents blocking alleys.

At their Jan. 24 meeting, aldermen were told the city had received a number of complaints about parked vehicles in the alley of the 5300 block of Smith Street. The location is a utility alley for CenturyLink.

The city's street management provider, PeopleService, also said they have had issues with parked vehicles hindering snowplowing.

Aldermen said some residents are confused as to who owns the alleyways and where they can park.

"I've had certain people come and say, 'Well, we're maintaining alleyways, so who does it belong to?'" West Ward Aldermen Jarad Roark said at the board's Feb. 21 meeting.

The board agreed the alleyways and maintenance are the city's responsibility.

"These ones that people are maintaining, we, as the city, own them. So we're going to have to start going and cutting the grass there and start making that our policy," Roark said.

Under current city code, a parked vehicle in an alley must leave at least 10 feet of the width of the roadway for traffic to pass. Blocking the driveway entrance on a street or an alley is prohibited.

The proposed change in the ordinance will be discussed at the next private board work session.