March 21, 2023 — Tulare City Council
Documented by Ntsa Iab Vang
What happened: At the March 21 Tulare City Council meeting, residents asked for the city to temporarily lift an ordinance that prevents RV parking in neighborhoods, specifically for families who are seeking shelter due to flooding.
After some discussion between the council and city staff, it was decided that the item will be placed on a future meeting agenda for the council to vote on.
Tulare resident Patricia Gamez told the council she has a trailer parked in her neighborhood, which she brought home from the coast so that it can be used as shelter by her family members in Porterville, Corcoran and Springville, who may need to evacuate from their homes due to flooding.
She said that other residents have complained and are taking photos of the vehicle so she has been moving it every 72 hours as required by the city. She asked that the ordinance be waived due to the emergency circumstances so that she may keep it parked in the neighborhood until it needs to be occupied by family, at which time she would look for an RV parking spot for it.
Her husband, Raymond Gamez, also asked the council for an extension of the 72-hour rule.
General Services Manager Manny Correa said that it is important that the city continue to enforce the ordinance because they don’t want vehicles parked in neighborhoods causing traffic hazards, but that the council may want to consider not enforcing all aspects of the ordinance due to unusual circumstances.
“I think at this time when we have flooding throughout the central valley, especially in our neighboring cities, there are individuals that may be having to evacuate their homes for a period of time,” he said.
He suggested the council could advise staff not to enforce the ordinance for a certain period of time, such as until May 1.
There was some concern among council members about individuals living in RVs throughout the city, but it was decided that the item will be placed on the agenda of a future meeting.
Up next: The Tulare City Council will meet again on April 4.
