NORWAY — A decision by selectmen is expected Thursday on whether to remove the two-hour parking ban on Main Street from the parking ordinance.
The board will hold a public hearing during the selectmen’s meeting Jan. 15 beginning at 7 p.m. in the Town Office on Danforth Street. The hearing follows another one in December, when the board voted 4-1 to repeal the ban, which carries a $25 fine for violations between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Selectman Russ Newcomb voted against the repeal.
On Thursday, the board will review and vote on an amended version of the eight-page ordinance that removes that two-hour ban.
The ordinance, which covers parking issues townwide, was enacted in 1978 by voters and amended over the years.
Although the two-hour parking ban has generally not been enforced in recent years, other parts of the parking ordinance are strictly enforced, including handicap parking and overnight parking bans for snow removal, police Chief Rob Federico has stated.
The public hearing in December was held to allow the board to hear from the community after an editorial in the Advertiser Democrat called for the board to take action on the parking ban, one way or the other. It has been a longtime practice of some motorists, including business owners and residents, to park on Main Street for more than two hours, but generally they are not ticketed, nor have there been many complaints.
Selectman Bruce Cook said last month that he agreed the ban should either be enforced or repealed because the town now has municipal lots which provide parking off Main Street.
Parking is prohibited on any street or road in Norway from Nov. 15 through April 15, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
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