PARKING: Enforcement needs work

I’ve noticed a major problem with illegal parking going on in the parks and downtown areas, especially when the city has special weekend activities in the downtown or park areas almost every weekend (like the car show this past weekend, but I’m not singling them out any more than what usually occurs every weekend). I did see six vehicles parked in the 15-minute zone in front of the “Museum” on Northwest Boulevard and when I left the car show three hours later, five of the six vehicles were still parked there!

I asked one of the police officers that was on walking patrol at the car show who was responsible for parking enforcement in the parks and downtown. He related “Diamond Parking” has the majority of the downtown area and the Code Enforcement Officer usually takes care of the outer areas. As I have never even seen a “Code Enforcement Officer” and live in the downtown area, I asked the officer about them. He informed me there was only ONE! And the Code Enforcement Officer works a 10-hour shift, Monday through Thursday!

Whoever devised that work schedule needs some remedial training. I would hope that whoever is in charge would address the needs of the community and distribute your manpower assets accordingly.

JASON DAWSETH

Coeur d’Alene