ADLC's ordinance regarding motor homes and trailers is against the public interest

Dear Editor:

I see the ADLC Code Enforcement Officer is running “no motor homes or trailers” ads in the paper again in order to intimidate motor home and trailer owners. Perhaps the current officer should have a little chat with former Code Enforcement Officer Joe Ungaretti about his unsuccessful campaign to enforce the “no trailers” code a few years ago. He just created a public outrage and finally, and wisely so, gave up the effort.

I agree that codes are supposed to be enforced, but when they are against the public interest, they should not be enforced and subsequently removed. But there are other legal considerations. First, there is equal protection under the law in the U.S. Constitution. You cannot cite me and not cite someone else. There are many motor homes and trailers parked on ADLC streets. The Code Officer must warn and cite every “violator” everywhere, or ADLC opens itself up an equal protection court challenge. In the past, citing was very subjective. This was evidenced by warned or cited RV/trailer owners producing photos of nearby RVs/trailers not cited. Second, RVs and trailers are licensed through ADLC, and by that fact, have the right to use the streets, just the same as cars and trucks. Third, property owners pay their street taxes and, by that fact, have the right to use their adjacent streets for RVs/trailers, just the same as cars and trucks. Fourth, the code has never been enforced and that has already set a legal precedent. Fifth, there is no private storage available for so many motor homes and trailers. Sixth, most folks with motor homes and trailers parked by their property cannot afford expensive private storage and compliance would be a financial burden.

If this continues, I suppose I will have to revert back to what I had to do during Joe’s “no motor homes or trailers” campaign. Make this old man go out in the wind, cold and snow, hook onto my trailer, drive it around the block, park it more or less where it was by my trucks and take a time/date picture of it.

As my neighbor pointed out, when visitors come to town, they do not see motor home and trailers on the streets as an eyesore. They say “Wow, there must be alot of great places to camp, hunt, fish and go four wheeling around here”.

Instead of unnecessarily tinkering around and getting taxpayers worked up over what most people consider their right to park what they what were they want, I suggest the Code Officer concentrate on the serious issues, like cleaning up the disgusting blight at Howe and Mt. Haggin or doing something about the Bangladesh-style views our tourists get to enjoy on their way to Last Creek State Park.

Steve Murphy

Anaconda