Starting in May, rules about where and when people can park within the City of Kenai will be made by the city manager — rather than city code — following a vote by city council members last month to remove existing regulations from city code.
Kenai Municipal Code currently prohibits parking on city streets between 4-8 a.m. from Oct. 1 to May 1 of the following year, as well as all parking on Kenai Avenue. The legislation approved by council members — which takes effect May 1 — repeals those rules and says it will instead fall to the city manager or other designee, with input from city departments.
“A preferred approach is to allow the City Manager or designee with input from various departments to determine parking prohibitions for each street and delineate the same with clearly posted signage giving adequate public notice,” the ordinance passed last month says.
Any changes to the city’s parking rules require “reasonable public notice” via signage and must be reported to the city council, but will not need to be implemented via city ordinance. Kenai City Attorney Scott Bloom described in a Nov. 9 memo to council members the city’s previous regulations as “one size fits all,” which may not always be effective.
“There are many areas of the City with different densities, uses and street widths that make a one size fits all approach to city parking ineffective,” Bloom wrote.
Bloom goes on to say that city administration will work to give “improved public notice” about the city’s maintenance needs and parking restrictions.
The Kenai City Council’s Dec. 21 meeting can be streamed on the City of Kenai’s website at kenai.city.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
