Additional changes to the city's parking regulations will be discussed at the East Lansing City Council work session today.
The council approved changing the no-parking ordinance on city streets to 2-6 a.m. at their Sept. 2 meeting. The previous ordinance had a no-parking requirement from 2-5 a.m.
The council will discuss further changes to parking regulations at metered spaces and at Valley Court.
City Parking Administrator Dan O'Connor said officials are looking into prolonging the no-parking regulations at meters from midnight-6 a.m. Currently, residents can park at meters until 2 a.m.
The problem at Valley Court is a lack of available space in the evenings, O'Connor said, when residents let their cars sit in the lot for free after 6 p.m.
To curb the problem, O'Connor said the city will consider eliminating the meters at Valley Court and putting in a central pay station. Parking spaces would be numbered, and residents would pay at the station. No parking would be allowed from 2-6 a.m.
"If we start charging, there won't be an incentive to park down on that end of town," he said.
A similar parking strategy is in place behind the CVS/Pharmacy on M.A.C. Avenue, which O'Connor said is working well.
Another item slated for discussion is the city's open-burning ordinance. The item was deferred from the council's Sept. 2 meeting because members wanted more time to look at it.
"I don't think we had a real open discussion on this at a work session, it was just presented," Councilmember Bev Baten said. "We wanted to make sure we had a chance to look over it carefully."
Open burning was banned in the city until a few years ago, when officials made an ordinance to allow it in certain residential areas if a permit were obtained. Council members will look at a long list of regulations the fire marshal and other city officials want to add to the ordinance.
New regulations would include inspections by the fire marshal and keeping the fire at least 20 feet from structures, roadways, property lines and driveways. Baten said after the items are discussed, the council will most likely be in favor of the changes.
The amendment is slated to be voted on at the Oct. 7 meeting.
