Citizens offer ordinance views at town meeting

September 25, 2012, 9:30 pm by Adam Troxtell

Council member Jane Marie Hurst discusses the portion of ordinance amendments that deals with parking and storing recreational vehicles. This was one of six stations in Lakeside Pavilion Tuesday night where residents gave feedback to city officials on the controversial amendments.

Marble Falls council members and city staff joined citizens at Lakeside Pavilion Tuesday night in a Town Hall Meeting to collectively brainstorm on a set of property and nuisance ordinance amendments.

The meeting idea was proposed by city council after they faced a barrage of criticism from citizens in an August council meeting about the amendments, which cover restrictions on parking recreational and service vehicles and storing objects in carports and front yards. Citizens were divided up into six groups who went around to six different stations each manned by a council member and at least one city staff member who worked with citizens on one aspect of the ordinance changes.

Citizens would then pose questions and present feedback, which was taken down on large note boards. Much of the arguments against the amendments stem from the same idea that property owners should be able to do what they like as long as it is on their land.

"We have a right to live like we do,” Mary Anne Nelson, a Marble Falls resident, said. "There's some council members that are really for the people, but a few of them just did all the talking tonight.”

Council member Ryan Nash, who took over the station covering service vehicle parking, said he felt the evening went well.

"It got more productive as the evening progressed,” Nash said. "It was good feedback from the citizens, along with their opinions of what the city should look like.”

Council members will now take what they have received from citizens to a workshop where the ordinances amendments will be worked over, and it is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 16.

For the full story, see Friday's Highlander.