A debate is brewing in downtown Clarksville over who should control parking enforcement — and whether now is the right time to make a change.
Clarksville City Council is scheduled to consider a parking overhaul ordinance this month that would dissolve the city’s Parking Commission and transfer enforcement authority to the Clarksville Police Department. If passed, the ordinance would take effect July 1st.
The Proposal
Ward 11 Councilman Joe Shakeenab is pushing the proposal, arguing the current system lacks the legal teeth to compel drivers to pay their tickets. “If parkers decide to pay, then they pay. If parkers do not feel like they have to pay, then there is no stick,” Shakeenab told NewsChannel 5 in an interview.
Under the proposed ordinance, unpaid parking tickets would carry real consequences. Violators would face a $40 fine plus court costs, with a $25 late fee added after 31 days. Those who fail to pay would be taken to city court…