Columbus city government will be tackling the issues of abandoned vehicles, oversized vehicles parked on narrow streets and other vehicle-related problems with changes to several city ordinances, tomorrow night.

Mary Ferdon, the city’s director of administration, explains:

Among the changes, the city would identify any inoperable vehicle as one that is partially dismantled, mechanically inoperable, or unsafe to drive. That would also include vehicles with broken windows or windshield, missing wheels, flat tires, and collision damage.

Under the proposal, inoperable and unlicensed vehicles could not be parked on private or public property, including city streets or right-of- way, except in a garage, carport or other enclosure.

The ordinance changes would also include:

• Prohibiting parking an oversized vehicle between the curb and sidewalk, including trailers, construction vehicles, recreational vehicles or buses.
• Defines recreational vehicles as those “designed and/or used for seasonal living or sleeping and/or recreational purposes and equipped with wheels to facilitate movement from place to place (either under its own power or towed by another vehicle).  Recreational vehicles include automobiles when used for living or sleeping purposes, pick-up truck coaches, motorized homes, boats, travel trailers, snow mobiles, and camping trailers not meeting the definition of a manufacture of mobile home.”
• Expands the existing prohibition on parking a vehicle for washing or repairs on a city street to include prohibiting parking on a public right of way.

City Council meets at 6 p.m. at Columbus City Hall.