ITEM TITLE:
#25-04 - Amending Chapter 10.20 of the Valdez Municipal Code Titled Recreational Vehicle Parks and Tent Camping. First Reading. Public Hearing. POSTPONED: 4/15/25, 4/30/25, 5/7/25. AMENDED: 3/18/25, 5/20/25.
SUBMITTED BY: Jake Staser, City Attorney/ Sheri Pierce, MMC, City Clerk
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: n/a
Unencumbered Balance: n/a
Funding Source: n/a
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve Ordinance 25-04 in first reading for public hearing.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
Ordinance 25-04 is attached for review.
This ordinance amends Chapter 10.20 of the Valdez Municipal Code relating to Recreational Vehicle and Tent Camping. This section of code has not been updated since 1996. Ordinance 25-04 seeks to outline rules for limited camping and RV parking in areas not designated as RV Parks & Campgrounds under Title 17 and to clarify the process for issuing permits and designating areas. The ordinance brings alignment with the recently adopted Title 17, which now includes more detailed standards for RV Parks & Campgrounds.
In existing code, Section 10.20.030 calls for a permit for RV Parking in designated areas of the city by permit from the City Manager’s office. Although RV camping has become more and more popular in recent years, the permit program was not implemented until last summer. Due to concerns about RVs parked in areas that are not appropriate within the City, the Chief of Police/Assistant City Manager formed a committee of department heads to explore solutions to the issue. During the summer of 2024, under the recommendation of the group, City Administration began issuing permits for a handful of designated areas as a temporary solution.
The group, which also includes the Capital Facilities Director, Community Development Director, Parks & Rec Director, Public Works Director, City Clerk, City Attorney, and Lt. Kalin King has developed the draft ordinance.
TIMELINE:
3/18/25: Introduced in First Reading; amend adopted to section 10.20.040(b) by striking language "limited to no more than 2 tents for a period not to exceed 30 days”
4/15/25: Ordinance incorrectly moved to second reading; postponed to next regular meeting pending accompanying resolution
4/30/25: Postponed to next regular meeting pending accompanying resolution
5/7/25: Postponed to next regular meeting pending accompanying resolution
5/20/25: Ordinance returned to first reading to correct process oversight; Rough draft of accompanying resolution put forward as a discussion item; three conceptual amendments adopted to:
1) Specify that no camping areas are only from Airport Road into town;
2) Incorporate the designated areas named in the draft resolution with the exception of South Harbor (Gold Fields, Airport, Glacier Lake, plus HHES and VHS (for school events only with permission of schools);
3) Include a $50 per night permit fee for approved designated areas.
Due to the additional adopted amendments 5/20/25 and ORD 25-04 will remain in first reading.
Staff note on attached version of Ordinance 25-04:
- Original proposed changes indicted with Red underlined to for new language and strikethrough for deleted language
- 3/18 adopted amendment is indicated in Purple under 10.20.040 (page 5)
- 5/20 adopted amendments are indicated in Blue in the following areas
o 10.20.020 Definitions: Under definition of “designated area” (page 2)
o 10.20.030 Use and parking of recreational vehicles outside of a recreational vehicle park (pages 2-3)
o 10.20.040 Tent Camping Prohibited Exceptions (page 5)
Additional staff note:
There appears to be some conflict between 2 of the 3 amendments from 5/20, since two of the adopted designated areas (Gold Fields and Glacier Lake) are located on the opposite side of Airport Road from the adopted boundary. Further discussion may be needed on the implications of this code language.