Council debates passing junk vehicle restriction

Ordinance currently on second reading, heading for third

Paige Richmond

of the Gateway

For the past nine months, the City of Gig Harbor has attempted to establish a junk vehicle ordinance. Based on the past two city council meetings, that process is going to last a few weeks longer.

The city hopes to adopt a junk vehicle ordinance that complies with the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), since the current ordinance is outdated and no longer complies with state law.

City Administrator Rob Karlinsey and staff began working on revising junk vehicle codes last year and have reviewed the ordinance with the Planning and Building Committee.

The city considers junk vehicles an issue of “public health and safety,” according to the wording of the new ordinance, which will restrict the placement and number of junk vehicles that can be stored on property within city limits.

It also defines a junk vehicle as any vehicle that meets three of the following criteria: It is three years old or older, has extensive damage, is inoperable, has expired tags, is more valuable as scrap, or is illegally parked on property.

The ordinance was first presented to the city council at the March 10 meeting, when it was met with concern from council member Jim Franich.

Mayor Chuck Hunter had asked the council to consider an appropriate number of junk vehicles that would be allowed on property, and Franich felt that placing a quantitative value would be unfair to property owners with larger amounts of land.

The ordinance was reviewed a second time at Monday night’s meeting, after it had been changed to include a two-vehicle limit.

Franich protested not only that the language had been changed, but the method by which the change occurred.

“I find it kind of unorthodox that the ordinance would come back changed in this matter without council discussion,” he said, explaining that there was no strike-through or underline text denoting how the ordinance had changed between readings. “If the mayor or staff has an issue with an ordinance, it should come back as a staff recommendation, and not changed within the ordinance.”

He added that he did not see the purpose of the ordinance in the first place.

“I don’t see this as a public health or safety issue,” Franich said. “I don’t even think this is something we should be enacting.”

Council member Paul Kadzik moved to table the issue.

Karlinsey will review the language of the ordinance before it is reviewed for a third time at the April 14 city council meeting.

Another new restriction

Earlier this month, the Gig Harbor City Council approved Resolution No. 744, which established a no parking zone on the east side of Skansie Avenue.

City leaders expressed concern that the public has been parking vehicles on that stretch of road during athletic events at nearby Gig Harbor High School. Due to increased pedestrian activity, the city performed a traffic study earlier this year and decided to prohibit parking.

In order to increase safety, Peninsula Light Company has donated three light poles on that street.

Part of the resolution also authorized City Engineer Steve Misiurak to maintain a “No Parking Map” that will show all no-parking zones in the city.

Reach Lifestyles Coordinator Paige Richmond at 853-9243 or by e-mail at paige.richmond@gateline.com.