Monroe council considers changes to address parking

The Monroe City Council is readdressing concerns about parking in front of mailbox clusters. The issue has come up occasionally for more than a decade.

This summer’s review was prompted by a resident living in The Farm at Woods Creek neighborhood off Chain Lake Road, said the Public Works director Brad Feilberg during the council’s July 18 meeting. He said the topic was most recently revisited in 2013, and in 2003 before that.

A dilemma has remained.

While it is not illegal to leave a vehicle in front of the receptacles, a carrier will skip over blocked slots, according to council documents. Past debates have centered on red paint versus signage. The former would prohibit parking at all times per city code, and signage would allow for restrictions only during specified hours.

The Stanton Meadows Homeowners Association brought the subject up to the city council in 2013. At that time, post office staff asked that a 12-foot buffer be established around mailbox clusters. The council settled on a 15-foot cushion in 2003.

City staff researched materials, labor and the city’s problem areas using a list supplied by the post office that year, according to council documents. Councilmember Patsy Cudaback said she wanted to know if those sites are still the same.

In 2003, just more than 30 clusters were identified, according to council documents. Signage was going to cost more than 60 hours of staff time, $6,600 in initial installation, and about $1,320 would be needed annually for replacements.

An ordinance was drawn up and passed a first reading, according to council documents. Councilmembers wanted more information on ways to cover costs before moving forward, and the topic was tabled in early 2004.

Councilmember Jason Gamble recalls the most recent discussions. He has seen that a homeowner has gone out and put their own red paint on a curb near his home. A car hasn’t been parked there since, he said. Councilmembers Jim Kamp and Cudaback said they were concerned about other groups following suit.

“I am not necessarily in favor of homeowners painting curbs red on their own,” Cudaback said. “That could get out of control.”

Feilberg said that is not the official recommendation of the city.

Gamble said the council had determined not to pass an ordinance restricting parking. They had also encouraged the Stanton Meadows HOA to enforce their own preferred regulations. Mitigation efforts do seem to work well on their own, he said. 

There are no state or federal laws prohibiting parking in front of mailbox clusters, but other cities have adopted relevant restrictions, according to council documents. Tacoma had settled on a 2-foot buffer.

Gamble said enforcement has also been of concern in the past. Now that the Monroe Police Department has a code enforcement officer, it might be appropriate to ask Police Chief Tim Quenzer if that would still be an issue, he said.

Feilberg had compiled notes from all previous relevant discussions from past meetings for the councilmembers, which showed originally the Stanton Meadows HOA had been directed to put up signs. They were also asked to report back how effective those installments had been, according to council documents.

Cudaback said she was interested in hearing how well signage works as a deterrent. She said it does seem like something needs to be done to help residents get their mail.

“This has bubbled up a few times, and that is just coming when people have come to council and complained,” Cudaback said. “We don’t know how many people have not come to council and complained that have said, ‘This is a pain, people keep parking in front of the mail boxes.’ ”

Gamble said he would be in most favor of restricting parking at certain hours. He and Kamp said they were thinking about parts of the city where parking is particularly tight. Gamble said there is no point in someone getting towed when there is no risk of mail delivery being hampered. 

Mayor Geoffrey Thomas directed staff to further research the questions raised by councilmembers, including contacting the post office and looking at enforcement options. He said the topic will be brought back before the council for further discussion.