BRADFORD — Bradford Council decided on a quick solution to tackle a parking issue on a couple narrow streets in the village during their meeting Thursday evening. By a vote of 4-1, the council approved adding “No Parking Here to Corner” signs as allowed by law to a couple streets. Council member Jeff Wirrig voted against the measure, seemingly due to the quickness of the vote.
Mayor Don Stump and Village Administrator Rick Looker discussed a couple separate complaints about parked cars blocking visibility on intersections on Church Street and Smithfield Street. Cars were reportedly parking all the way up to intersections on those streets — particularly when they connect with Miami Avenue — and blocking the views of cars and traffic in general.
“There seems to be two different issues,” Looker said. “One issue is that the numerous amount of parking that’s being handled on Smithfield Street and that would be West Smithfield, which is causing some hazards of getting trapped out when you travel down Smithfield Street to Miami and also when you come off of Miami Avenue onto Smithfield Street.
“Second issue is the visibility on East Church Street when you come off of Miami Avenue going towards the east on East Church Street only on Sundays when there’s an immense amount of parking on East Church Street.”
Looker added later that Smithfield Street is difficult to snow-plow in the winter time without blocking in parked cars with snow.
Stump mentioned that an accident had almost occurred at the intersection of Smithfield Street and Miami Avenue due to limited visibility where one vehicle was forced to back up onto Miami Avenue to avoid an accident and allow another car to pass.
Looker suggested the possibility of eliminating parking on one side of Smithfield Street and adding markers on Church Street that say, “No Parking Here to Corner.”
“I really want your input on that,” Looker said, later suggesting putting “No Parking Here to Corner” signs on both Smithfield and Church streets at the intersections in question. He dropped the suggestion of eliminating parking in order to “to eliminate a long process that may not resolve” itself.
“I’ll have the signs put up, and we’ll just move on,” Looker said.
Council member Deb Warner said, “Let’s do that and see if it alleviates it.”
Council member Sandra Miller said that they could start with those intersections, adding, “There are other places we could look at.”
Prior to a vote taking place on the measure, Wirrig said, “I would like to a take a little look at it first.”
The council then voted on the measure, with council members Bob Daughtery, Galen Balmert, Warner, and Miller voting to approve it and Wirrig voting against it. Council member Tom Moore was absent during the meeting.
Those signs will be posted at points that are already allowed by law, as the Ohio Revised Code already prohibits parking within 30 feet of intersections.
Daughtery also suggested giving two weeks notice to the churches on Church Street.
Later in the meeting, Wirrig suggested, “If we’re going to do — and we are — the 30-foot back from the stop sign for Church and Smithfield, I think in the next year, we get paint or signage. We should do it on every corner in town.” He added, “I’m not disagreeing with the decision.”
Stump earlier in the meeting had suggested creating a safety committee to look at other streets and intersections within the village to see if there were others that needed this same type of attention.
Also during their meeting, the council approved:
• A resolution accepting the amounts and rates as determined by the budget commission and authorizing the necessary tax levy and certifying them to the Miami County Auditor
• A resolution accepting the amounts and rates as determined by the budget commission and authorizing the necessary tax levy and certifying them to the Darke County Auditor
• An ordinance to approve, adopt, and enact the 2017 replacement pages to the codified ordinances; to repeal ordinances in conflict therewith; to publish the enactment of new matter; and declaring this act an emergency.
The council approved waiving the three-reading rules for those items of legislation. The council also approved contracting with the county public defender at a cost of approximately $485, which is the same amount as years past. They also waived their right to a hearing with the Division of Liquor Control at the Ohio Department of Commerce. By waiving that hearing, the Division of Liquor Control is expected to renew the liquor license automatically for Hershey Bar and Grill.
