The City of Estevan has announced it plans to crack down on people who park on City-owned property.
Beginning January 1, 2012, residents will no longer be able to park vehicles on City property outside of official parking lots without formal agreement. This will be in effect for all property including boulevards adjacent to private property, vacant City properties and drainage course.
City manager Jim Puffalt said the decision has been a long time coming as a number of residents have abused the City property.
"We've seen that people were parking on City property wherever there was a free piece of land," said Puffalt. "About five or six years ago we started to get people off our property because it was causing us problems with trying to cut the grass and maintenance.
"What we ended up doing is where it was reasonable we allowed people (to use City property). We thought a reasonable approach was if it was adjacent to your property and you are looking after the property, go ahead and put your trailer on there. Then of course what happens is people abuse it they don't look after the property, there is grass growing up, there is weeds, they are blocking sightlines. It's come down to the point where enough is enough, you have to get it off City property altogether and on your own property or to a storage place."
Puffalt added that aside from being a nuisance, the issue has also become a matter of cleanliness in a time when the City is placing a special emphasis on beautification.
"Some people are really great. If they are using City property they look after it like their own. But other people don't seem to pay any attention to it or care and stuff is just piled up there and they just make a mess basically."
Puffalt said beginning in 2012, the City's bylaw officer will be enforcing the new rules and that anyone in breach will be issued a fine.
"We are giving people lots of advance notice," Puffalt said. "Please, if you have something on our property, take advantage of these four months and get it off so we don't have to worry about it in the future."
