GALT, CA (MPG) - Should Galt residents be able to park large vehicles – boats, trailers and RVs – on their properties? 

Galt residents debated that very question in Galt City Council chambers on Tuesday, April 1 following a presentation on a city ordinance that bars such actions.  

The presentation was administered by city Code Compliance Supervisor TJ Guidotti and centered primarily around section K of section 8.20.110 of the Galt Municipal Code, which prohibits the parking or storage of any boat, trailer, camper, motor home, unregistered or non-operable vehicle or other mobile equipment on property zoned for residential use. 

The ordinance specially mentions property located on any front lawn or driveway within the front yard setback measured from the property boundary line, and property on the side or rear yard that prevent a three-foot-wide fire access from the front of the property, among other specific guidelines. 

Guidotti noted public safety concerns, property value concerns and blight as issues the ordinance tries to address. 

The ordinance became a point of frustration in mid-February after dozens of Galt residents received notices from the city’s code enforcement department detailing a potential $100 fine if the vehicles were not removed from their driveways in 30 days. The fines could increase up to $500, or $100 a day, according to city code. 

The ordinance has been in the city code for nearly 30 years, but residents argue the code has rarely been enforced. 

Since the dustup, two change.org petitions have been launched, one hoping to repeal the ordinance, the other to keep the original ordinance in place.  

To discuss community concerns, the Council opted to place the item on the April 1 agenda for community members to provide their feedback. 

Among Tuesday’s speakers was Galt resident David Darchuck, who shared an image with the Council of a smaller utility trailer in his driveway that he was cited for before stating that he didn’t buy into the idea that people in the community had an issue with similar items being parked in driveways or on the side of a home. 

He said in his 36 years of living in Galt, the ordinance hadn’t become an issue until recently, and he believes some changes to the ordinance should be considered. 

“All of a sudden, boom,” Darchuck said. “I didn’t hear about it until the last few months.”

Guidotti said the increase in enforcement is due to an increase in staff. He added the city’s code enforcement division was not interested in generating revenue, as some residents have suggested on social media, as opposed to finding pathways to compliance with the ordinance. 

“When we go out to look at a location, our goal is to work with our residents to find a solution to make this work at this location,” Guidotti said. 

He said response to code violations is typically complaint-driven, and staff is not driving around the city looking for violations to cite. Still, he added when the city does cite one individual, it typically leads to that person noting someone else in the area that is also violating a code, leading to additional citations. 

“One issue can possibly turn into multiple code violations,” Guidotti said. 

Resident Cody McMillan said he feels the ordinance should target people with dilapidated items on their property but is impacting residents who are taking care of the items they park on their properties. He offered a solution that well-maintained property should be able to remain unabated. 

“Let people keep their property on their property as long as the trailer is undilapidated, registered, operable without obstructing views and most importantly not blocking any fire personnel,” McMillan said. “There is no reason to not revise this ordinance based on this.” 

Resident Efren Gonzalez said he was cited for having a work truck that exceeded the maximum weight limits: five tons. He said the truck was parked in an RV parking space on his property. 

He added the city has worked with him to find a solution in the interim, but also that the ordinance should be revised to take into consideration individual circumstances. 

“The work truck for me is my livelihood,” Gonzalez said. “That is how we feed our families and that was the job that offered me the most money so that I can give my family a better life. Without the truck, I might have to consider moving out of Galt somewhere that I can move the truck because that is the way I make my income.”

While there was a significant amount of testimony for at least amending the ordinance, some spoke in favor of keeping the ordinance as it is. 

Former Council member and current Cosumnes Community Services District Director Rich Lozano spoke in “unwavering” support of keeping the ordinance in place. 

He said he was not in favor of government overreach but called the ordinance as it stands essential to the wellbeing of the residents of Galt. He said the appearance of such vehicles detracts from the “visual harmony of our neighborhoods.” 

“This ordinance is not merely a set of regulations,” Lozano said. “It is a commitment to keeping a quality of life, aesthetic appeal and property values within our community.” 

Galt Planning Commissioner Keith Jones also spoke at the meeting in favor of keeping the ordinance in place. He said as a boat owner himself, there is a cost that comes with ownership. 

“As an owner of a boat that is stored in other places other than my home, I understand the essential cost that comes with that ownership,” Jones said. “However, I knowingly know that and pay for that. RVs stored on the street, or in the driveways not only bring down the value, it is an aesthetically unappealing look. And yes, that is an emotion, and I am entitled to that emotion.”

Becky Ronsby, a local real estate broker, said while she doesn’t mind the aesthetic appeal of a well-maintained boat, she advises home sellers to move a large boat or RV from their property when they are putting a property up for sale. 

She said she’s unsure of how the city could regulate opinions of what is aesthetically acceptable without “black and white” language on the matter. 

“I feel like if we open this can it’s going to be a big ol’ problem,” Ronsby said.  

The question of where to park larger vehicles and trailers has become a point of contention in the Sacramento region. The Sacramento City Council’s Law and Legislation Committee in mid-March approved drafting a moratorium on enforcement after scores of angry residents voiced displeasure with a similar ordinance. 

Guidotti told the Council that he intends to reach out to other municipalities in the area to gather input on how they approach their ordinances. 

Vice Mayor Paul Sandhu requested the Council take up the issue for further discussion at its April 15 meeting, when the full Council could deliberate.

Mayor Shawn Farmer was absent from the meeting.