Rockland trims parking prohibition from plan

ROCKLAND – City Councilors deleted at Wednesday night’s meeting a section from a parking-related ordinance amendment that would have prohibited residents from routinely parking vehicles on their front lawns.

The proposed ordinance ultimately proceeded through the council and will now go to a public hearing and final vote Monday, Dec. 9.

This amendment, which is contained in the general provisions for the city, pertains to the parking of trailers and motor vehicles on residential properties and sets restrictions. The city law prohibits the parking of semi-trailer or roll-off containers on properties under certain conditions.

One sentence was struck from the proposed ordinance: prohibiting motor vehicles or trailers from routinely being parked within the front yard of a residential property, unless parked within an existing or newly permitted driveway.

Councilor Carol Maines pointed out that a property “owner could argue wherever their car is parked is their driveway.” There is a civil liberties question, too, she said, and a problem with enforcement.

At the start of the meeting during the public comment session, resident George Marks said the law “proposes we can’t use our property.”

“It’s a bad piece of law,” he said.

Resident Gordon Mank asked if everyone needed a refresher course in U.S. history, citing the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution.

“There’s something wrong with that,” he said, referring to the front yard parking restriction.

An amendment to remove the front yard clause was unanimously approved, as was the proposed ordinance change.

In other business, the council authorized the transfer of $297,143 from the general fund to a credit reserve account for the purpose of tax relief.

The shift of funds resulted from a miscalculation in the city’s budget that caused taxpayers to be billed more for their property taxes than necessary. How that money will be returned is still undecided.

The impact on taxpayers is approximately $53 for a homeowner with property assessed at $100,000, City Manager Tom Hall said.

Councilor Edward Mazurek asked if reimbursement checks could be sent to taxpayers.

Hall indicated that checks were an alternative, but that individual tax accounts could be credited. He also noted that the period for abatements should conclude before overpayments are returned. The deadline for abatements is 180 days following the commitment of taxes, which would make it late March, Hall said.

Councilor Brian Harden noted that before any funds were taken from the credit reserve account, the matter would return to the council for a vote.

During the manager’s report, Hall announced that 618 valid signatures were collected in Rockland at the Nov. 5 polls for the Maine Municipal Association’s tax reform initiative, “An Act to Reduce Local Property Taxes Statewide.”

In order to get on the November 2003 referendum, some 50,000 signatures were needed, Hall said, and that goal was reached statewide.

At the close of the meeting, Mayor Becky Gamage and Councilor Carol Maines, who was once mayor, were given plaques acknowledging their years of service. Both women chose not to seek re-election.

Gamage thanked the council for its support and teamwork during her tenure as mayor, saying the board did not always vote the same, but their opinions were always respected.