by Greg Beaner, Garretson Mayor
I would like to start by introducing myself. I’m Greg Beaner, and I was elected mayor of Garretson about a year and a half ago. After some discussion with Carrie Moritz, we thought that it would be interesting to bring back the editorial section titled ”From The Desk of The Mayor”. Past mayors have done this, but I’m not sure if it was ever done on a regular basis. Topics will range from interesting posts on the Garretson Living Facebook page to important happenings in our community.
This month I would like to discuss the revised camper ordinance for our community. I know that there was some discussion and complaints regarding the current ordinance. First, a little history regarding this. The revised camper ordinance was adopted on October 1, 2018. There was a lot of discussion prior to adopting the ordinance. The old ordinance, adopted some time before 1997, was actually stricter than the revised version.
What does the ordinance consist of? It is pretty easy to sum up the revised camper ordinance. The term camper includes trailer campers, motorhomes, boats and trailers. The ordinance is broken into two parts: on-street parking and off-street parking. For on-street parking, you can’t park on the street for more than 48 hours unless the trailer is being used for on-site construction purposes including a building permit. For off-street parking, the trailer must be parked on an improved surface. An improved surface would be gravel, crushed rock, rock or concrete. The trailer can’t obstruct the sidewalk or extend into the right-of-way. Side and backyard parking sites must be two feet away from the neighbor’s property line. All are fairly basic standards. The penalty for not complying is a $200 fine, the standard fee for all nuisance issues in the city ordinances. A fine is rarely levied, and the code enforcement officer is very easy to work with. If you have gotten a notice please feel free to contact Scott at .
Why do we have this ordinance? There were several points of discussion regarding this. The first is safety. When campers/trailers are parked on the road they can block the view for other drivers. They can limit access for wide emergency vehicles. They can also block the view of drivers as they exit or go past driveways. As proven by past wind storms, campers can easily roll and damage other people’s property. A camper or trailer that is parked in a yard or on the grass makes it difficult to mow and maintain around it. Yes, most people will trim and mow under and around, but others won’t. You can’t enforce an ordinance for one person and not for another.
What has changed and why is there concern now? Actually nothing has changed. An ordinance for trailers and campers has been in place for at least the last 20 years. The change is that we now have a Code Enforcement Officer who can enforce the ordinances set by the city council. In the past, the current staff didn’t have time to patrol and enforce, so nothing was done until there was a complaint by a neighbor or concerned party. I personally feel that this wasn’t fair or right.
What is the benefit to the community? Safety is the key benefit in keeping our streets open and clear for drivers, bicycle riders, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles. The other is keeping our community neat and clean and not being obtrusive to our neighbors.
What is the cost to the city? As everyone knows, the city budget is public information. For the 2019 fiscal year we budgeted $10,000 for code enforcement. The Code Enforcement position is part-time and is approximately 10 hours per week. Yes he enforces the camper ordinance, but his job mostly consists of working with property owners who fall out of compliance with other ordinances. The Code Enforcement officer has been vital in helping our community clean up several properties.
Do other communities have camper ordinances? Yes, most communities of our size or bigger have camper ordinances. Our ordinance is very similar and maybe even a little more relaxed when compared to other towns in the area. Some communities don’t permit parking on the street at all. We don’t need ordinances as strict as those in Sioux Falls, but there does need to be some standard.
As Garretson continues to grow and improve, there are going to be changes. I would encourage people to talk to their elected officials. Let them know your thoughts and ideas on ordinances. The city council is faced with difficult decisions, and they always do what they think is best. Your input can help them . As the mayor, I’m not allowed to vote, but I would be happy to hear your thoughts or concerns. My email address is . Thank you.
