CROTHERSVILLE

When Crothersville Street Superintendent Mike Deaton replaced “No parking” signs around town, an issue was discovered.

Several of the areas where parking is not allowed are not recorded in the town’s ordinance book.

That results in police officers not knowing if they can write a ticket when a vehicle is parked in a no parking zone.

Town Council President Danieta Foster was made aware of the issue, and she looked through the ordinance book and past council meeting minutes. She found several areas that have “No parking” signs, but the streets aren’t named in the ordinance.

“Possibly, they were never ordinanced in,” she said.

“I would pass an ordinance with a comprehensive list with all of the areas that you want to be no parking,” town attorney Jeff Lorenzo told the council.

Once Foster gives him that list, Lorenzo can draft an ordinance to be considered for adoption by the council. Councilman Brenda Holzworth said she would like a map of the proposed no parking areas, and Deaton said he could provide that.

One street the council knows is included in the ordinance is Main Street Circle. In the fall of 2018, the council approved posting “No parking or standing; residential use only” signs around the outer part of the street.

The council discussed parking along Preston Street, especially in front of Crothersville Junior-Senior High School.

On nights of basketball games and other sporting events, vehicles park along both sides of the street. That on top of poor lighting in the area make it dangerous.

“I was over there with my granddaughter and watched a kid come out in front of those cars, and they had no choice but to come out between the cars because the cars were parked in front of the ramp where you’re supposed to walk,” Foster said.

Police Chief Matt Browning said vehicles block people’s driveways on the west side of Preston Street, too.

“The only no parking there is in ordinance 15 feet from a driveway, but it’s not completely no parking, so you can squeeze cars in there,” Foster said. “They just squeeze more than what they are supposed to, and they park on the other side of the road, which is no parking except for the handicap parking. They park all the way down through there, all the way down the curb, and it’s dangerous, in my opinion.”

Foster said she would like to make all of Preston Street, from Coleman Street to Moore Street, no parking except for the handicap spots in front of the school. That would require people attending events at the school to use the parking lots instead of parking along the curbs.

Other streets Foster discussed putting in the no parking ordinance include part of West Howard Street, Kovener Street, Moore Street and Main Street.