Presented 151-signature petition to Council asking to rescind the ordinance immediately
With a 151-signature petition in hand, Destrehan resident Roslyn Goodick asked the St. Charles Parish Council to rescind a 1986 overnight parking ordinance that she maintained is creating costly and unfair problems for residents.
Although the ordinance has been years in place, Goodick said the Sheriff’s Office suddenly started issuing warnings and then tickets last month. She was told a complaint made to the office triggered the crackdown, which applies to off-street parking from midnight to 5 a.m.
Goodick said one resident got three tickets in one night at a cost of $25.50 per citation.
Of the 165 residents she spoke to in the area about it, most of them signed the petition.
“If this is a safety issue why isn’t this enforced 24/7?” she recently asked the council. “Is this a safety issue for only five hours? What has become a safety issue is large vehicles parked in front yards on top of water, gas, sewer and electrical lines to avoid Goodick added emergency vehicles have sufficient access in the area, further raising the question of why the ordinance was ever necessary.
Councilman Terrell Wilson said he wants to address the matter in the Council’s Legislative Committee but anticipated it couldn’t be done until January. Wilson said he wanted to bring the fire association, Sheriff’s Office and St. Charles Parish Hospital EMS together to address whether they’ve had difficulties maneuvering through the area and see what can be done to address the issue.
Goodick wants it addressed sooner.
“What are we going to do between now and January if the police come and ticket more people?” she said. “The residents are pretty frustrated with the ticket thing.”
A resident in Red Church Plantation Estates for 29 years, Goodick also said most residents there don’t have the resources to provide more driveway space to avoid more tickets.
One of the people ticketed is Goodick herself, who also submitted photographs showing the impact of the ordinance on the community.
She cited the parking causing depressions in yards that invite standing water and tracks dirt onto the streets, which Goodick argued is hurting property value, inviting a criminal element.
“The ordinance forces residents to park vehicles on their front lawns and block sidewalks, which is in violation of another parish ordinance,” she said.
Goodick also questioned why only residents are being ticketed.
“How does the Sheriff’s Office know that a vehicle has been parked over night?” she added. “One resident who has a rotating shift scheduled received a ticket after parking his vehicle at 4 a.m. – does he deserve a ticket for a one-hour violation when the ordinance calls for a five-hour violation?”
Additionally, she asked the council what should be done with night guests, visiting college kids, residents with multiple vehicles and boats.
Council Chair Wendy Benedetto agreed residents on the petition should be notified about the meeting that will be held to address their concerns.
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