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Oswego officials voice support for minor change to overnight parking ban ordinance

Parking ban hours would be cut by one hour to 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.

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Oswego Village Board members voiced support this week for amending an ordinance that bans overnight on-street parking on most residential streets in the village.

During a committee-of-the-whole meeting Tuesday, Nov. 24, board members agreed to modify the ordinance to change the hours when the ban is in place from the current 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. period to 2 a.m. to 5 a.m.

Village President Troy Parlier suggested the change based on information provided by Police Chief Jeff Burgner that showed the vast majority of ordinance violation tickets issued by police to parking ban violators occurs between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Over the past four years 93% of the tickets were issued to violators between the hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. and just 7% of the tickets were issued between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m., according to the police data.

When questioned by board members, Burgner said he has no objection to the change in hours.

Referring to the 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. time period, Burgner said, "As you can see our enforcement is pretty light during that time and it is getting close to our shift change."

Burgner noted the change might also help some of the construction workers who arrive on local job sites during the early morning hours.

Jennifer Hughes, the village's public works director, said the change in hours would not impact her department's snow plow or other operations.

"The biggest impact for us would be we would need to modify somewhere between 50 and 70 (overnight parking ban) signs," Hughes said. "Those signs are typically posted at the entrances of subdivisions off main roads, so we would have to go out and put stickers on those signs changing the hours. That will take some time, but it won't be a big deal to change it."

Board member Judy Sollinger said she would like to see the village consider parking restrictions in the village's older neighborhoods adjoining the downtown where the ordinance is not in effect.

"We now have people parking on both sides of the street in my neighborhood and sometimes it is difficult to pass," Sollinger said.

Board member Luis Perez voiced support for amending the ordinance and changing the hours, based on the recommendations from Burgner and Hughes, and as long as the overnight parking ban remains in place.

"If Jennifer (Hughes) and Chief (Burgner) are cool with it (the change), then I'm cool with it," Perez said.

Burgner said he could work with Sollinger and village staff to remedy the parking issues in the village's older neighborhoods exempt from the ordinance.

He suggested possible solutions could be education or restricting parking to one side of the street in those neighborhoods.

"There are some different options and I can work with Jennifer (Hughes) and Trustee Sollinger on that," he said.

Burgner said he will bring back an amended ordinance containing the change in hours to the board during an upcoming meeting for their further consideration and a final vote.

John Etheredge

John Etheredge

Editor of the Record Newspapers and KendallCountyNow.com, John's career as a journalist in Kendall County began in 1981. Over the years his news beats have included county government, municipal government, school boards, police and more. He also writes editorials on local issues and the weekly Kendall County Government Newsletter.