Council to reconsider trailer ordinance

WORLAND — On a 7-2 vote the Worland City Council voted to suspend enforcement of the city’s parking code for business trailers.

During last Tuesday’s regular council meeting, via Zoom web conferencing, the council heard from Mat King, a resident and business owner on Holly Avenue.

He said, “My trailer is a business trailer. I run a very, very small business. Professional woodturning is a hard way to make a living and that trailer is my portable store. We do 16 shows a year. We’re on the road all the time. When we’re not, we’re using it.” He noted the Buffalo Bill Center of the West came and purchased some items the previous week. “I have to have it out front where I can access it and get in and out of it.”

He said he has no other place to put the trailer on his property and it would be inconvenient to have it in a storage shed.

The current city code prohibits unattached trailers from being parked on city streets for more than seven days.

King said his trailer is a little, white trailer in front of his home that does not block traffic. “It’s like a contractor with a business.”

Council member Mike Neufer said, “He’s not the only business person with a trailer in front of his home, several contractors also have trailers in front of their homes.

“Maybe there’s something we can do for those guys being as we’re trying to be business-friendly,” Neufer said.

Council member Mandy Horath said she agrees with Neufer but there needs to be parameters to identify businesses.

King said, “I do have an LLC. I am a licensed business.”

Council member Delayne Renner-Newton wondered about having the city issue permits to businesses for trailers.

Mayor Jim Gill said, “Our actions have consequences for people. Personally, many are aware, and I think we all agree we want to be business-friendly and that weighs heavy on me when we have a situation like this. We also try and do what’s the better good for all.”

Council member Kreg Lombard said, “We do have to be business-friendly. It is something we need to work on. I think it’s an important issue.”

Gill said the issue was discussed at the Tuesday, April 7 department head meeting and the city definitely needs to regulate trailers where they are not going to parked in areas where they block visibility.”

Worland Police Chief Gabe Elliott said the ordinance states that it is unlawful to store an unattached trailer, motorhome or towed vehicle on city streets or alleys for more than a seven-day period. He added that this gets the police and ordinance officer the most negative feedback of any ordinance in the city.

“People want to be able to park their trailers, whether it is a business or a camper or a boat or whatever. They want to have that ability. Everyone we have contact with brings up the fact that they pay taxes and their vehicles are licensed, their trailers are licensed.”

He said it is also difficult for the ordinance officer to track the seven days. The ordinance as written, “is not real user-friendly for us.” He said he is all about parking where people can except in front of neighbor’s houses and the biggest concern is visibility at the corners.

Horath noted that the ordinance is necessary because some of the city streets are narrow and too many trailers parked on a street make it hard to maintain two lanes of traffic.

Suggestions of a survey and forming a committee to examine the issues were debated. A committee of Christy Schneider, Delayne Renner-Newton and Kreg Lombard was formed. And then the mayor and council approved a motion to suspend citing registered businesses under the ordinance for 30 days while the committee works with City Attorney Kent Richins and Elliott on tweaking the language in the ordinance and come up with options for the full council to consider.

Voting against the motion was Schneider and Caleb Vigil.