Bill Coulic was the first to park on 25 Avenue, three years ago.

(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

Vernon council is set to have another stab at the issue of RVs parked permanently on city streets.

At yesterday's Sept. 6 council meeting, councillor Scott Anderson put forward a motion asking staff to come up with solutions to the issue. In one part, the motion asks to strengthen bylaws to deal with the situation.

Tightening the bylaws concerned councillor Teresa Durning.

"I just want to make sure we’re not running them off the street to go nowhere, I want to make sure we have solutions in place," Coun. Durning said.

The second part of the motion asks staff to come up with solutions to the issue of people permanently parking RVs on the city's streets.

Councillor Kelly Fehr welcomed the idea.

"Homelessness is going to continue to rise… we’re going to see more and more people in RVs as affordable housing issue gets worst, so it's important to have options to review," he said.

However, councillor Kari Gares pointed out the city went through the issue in 2021.

"We’ve been down this path already and I feel like we are spinning wheels… we’ve amped up our bylaws already so people don’t make stationary homes on our streets," Coun. Gares told council. "Staff is just really busy and I’m struggling with this one and we pretty much already know the answer."

The issue of permanently RVs parked on city streets started around three years ago, when several RVs began parking permanently on 25 Avenue, a few kilometres south of downtown.

Currently, around half a dozen RVs permanently park on 25 Avenue, but in the summer months, as many as 15 RVs can be found overnight parking.

Many of those living in RVs previously told iNFOnews.ca that they had nowhere else to go.

READ MORE: No holiday camp: What to do about Vernon's 'RV situation'

In the fall of 2021, councillor Brian Quiring put forward a motion that something should be done about the situation.

The councillor was heavily criticized and accused of making life harder for those who already didn't have a permanent home.

Ultimately, in 2021, the city passed a new bylaw that stated RVs couldn't use their pull-outs and jacks while parked on the street. Rules allowing RVs to park for 48 hours in the same spot were left in place.

What will be different this time remains to be seen, but Coun. Anderson said the idea is not to simply look at enforcement but to come up with solutions.

Separately, councillors Durning and Fehr had two motions on the table asking staff to look into designated emergency overnight RV sites as well the logistics of operating a designated emergency camping site for the homeless population. Both motions were withdrawn.

A city staff report on the RV parking problem will come to council at a later date. 

READ MORE: Canmore has one possible solution to Vernon's 'RV situation'

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