Seattle City Council rejects law imposing more restrictions on RVs
Push for Seattle RV permit program dies
It was an issue that pitted Seattle's mayor against several Seattle City Council members. But in the end, the council rejected a push to crack down on parked RVs across the city.
SEATTLE, WA - The Seattle City Council rejected a push to tighten rules on RV parking across the city in a narrow 5-4 vote, upholding Mayor Katie Wilson’s earlier veto of the legislation.
The scrapped proposal would have required people living in RVs to obtain a permit to park overnight on city streets. Under the rejected rules, RV owners without a permit would have been limited to two-hour parking and faced the risk of having their vehicles towed.
Background on RV parking proposal
The City Council initially approved the parking restrictions last month and sent the legislation to the mayor’s desk.
Earlier this month, Wilson vetoed the measure.
Thursday’s council vote gave city leaders an opportunity to override her decision and enact the law without mayoral approval, but the majority voted to side with the veto.
An RV homeless encampment in Seattle. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Council pushback after mayor veto
Following the vote, Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss criticized the decision to halt the legislation in favor of additional review.
"I am disappointed that the mayor vetoed this legislation, after nearly a year of work, to further study the issue," Strauss said in a statement. "We need action, not more studies. The City of Seattle continues to fall further behind other cities, from San Francisco to Lacey, Washington, in how it addresses this issue."
What's next:
When Wilson vetoed the council's plan, she simultaneously announced an executive order aimed at addressing neighborhoods impacted by RVs while improving outcomes for people living in vehicles.
According to the mayor, new plans detailing how the city will address vehicle residency and neighborhood impacts are expected to be ready within two months.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle City Council and previous FOX 13 Seattle reporting.