Rising Sun adopts emergency parking ordinance to prevent blocked fire lanes and refuse pickups

The Mayor and Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted Ordinance 2023-14 as an emergency ordinance to tighten street-parking rules and prevent obstructions to emergency access and municipal services.

Town Administrator presented the ordinance to modify Chapter 4 (Traffic, Vehicles and Transportation), citing recent incidents in which a dumpster and other obstructions interfered with trash collection and could have impeded emergency response. The ordinance adds a definition for fire access roads and staging areas, requires parked vehicles to have their right-hand wheels within 12 inches of the roadway edge (or the left-hand wheel on certain one-way streets), and prohibits overnight placement of construction equipment or dumpsters within fire access lanes or where they interfere with traffic, refuse collection or emergency vehicles. "This is why this is so important," the Town Administrator said while describing prior access problems.

Commissioners discussed adopting the ordinance as an emergency to give law enforcement immediate authority while emphasizing a public-education-first approach. Commissioner Jim Kite said he would not oppose emergency adoption but recommended a two-week to 30-day warning period before issuing citations to prioritize safety over revenue. The Town Administrator confirmed the town will notify residents and publish the redlined ordinance language on the town website.

A motion to adopt Ordinance 2023-14 as an emergency ordinance was moved and seconded and carried on a voice vote. The board directed staff to post the ordinance language online and to begin public notice and educational outreach before aggressive enforcement.

The ordinance is intended to consolidate enforcement language so officers do not need to consult multiple documents or state codes during enforcement; the administrator said the town may adopt language more explicit than state code to eliminate ambiguity for local enforcement. The ordinance takes effect immediately under emergency-adoption rules; the board did not record individual roll-call votes in the public transcript.

Next steps: staff will post the redlined ordinance on the town website and carry out initial outreach to affected neighborhoods before citations are issued.