As we get closer to winter, the City of Stuart is implementing new parking regulations to save the street department some hassle and avoid property damage when plowing snow off the streets.

After months of discussion, the City Council approved a new ordinance that enforces no parking on any public street, alley, or City-owned off-street parking area between the hours of 2-6 a.m. from November 1st to April 1st. Mayor Dick Cook says vehicles blocking the streets for snow plowing was a major issue last winter, “We’ve had problems where people say, ‘Well, I didn’t know it was going to snow.’ Well then we gotta tell them to move the vehicle or tow it or plow around it and that isn’t working. So everybody should have their car off the street so Jim (Henderson) and Kory (Guisinger) can do their job as plowing around the vehicles because it’s very dangerous with that big 10-foot blade that he could sideswipe somebody’s vehicle. It’s better to just get them off the street.”

This ordinance will be enforced from now until April, whether or not there is snow or ice on the ground. Cook says the first violation of the code will result in a warning issued by the public works or police departments. Any additional violation of the ordinance shall result in the vehicle being towed, and will not be released until the owner pays the towing charges, plus any storage costs. He hopes this new code will become second nature for residents, to create less issues for the streets department.