Only one shows up for truck ordinance meeting in Thornton

The office of San Joaquin County Supervisor Ken Vogel has received several calls from independent truck drivers saying that a proposed ordinance that would ban long-term parking by unoccupied trucks would hurt their livelihood.

However, only one non-county employee showed up to a community meeting Tuesday night in Thornton.

County officials are considering an ordinance that would not allow truckers to park in one place for more than 10 hours in unincorporated county areas. Truckers would be allowed to exceed the 10-hour limit if they are taking a nap or making repairs on their vehicle, but they can't leave their trucks unattended.

The ordinance proposed by the county Sheriff's Office goes after truckers who park for several days at a time in unincorporated areas of the county. It is subject to approval by the county Board of Supervisors.

The issue came up because the Sheriff's Office has received complaints about truckers parking in such locations as Jahant Road and Highway 99 in Acampo, on Thornton Road north of Highway 12 in Flag City and at Thornton and Walnut Grove roads in Thornton.

Thornton residents have complained about visibility problems seeing around parked trucks in their community, but no Thornton residents showed up for Tuesday's meeting at New Hope School.

Galt resident David Fox, manager of ABF Freight Systems, said he came to the Thornton meeting just to find out what the proposed ordinance is about.

"We support the safety concerns," Fox said after the meeting. "It might present some inconveniences, but we'll work with it."

Some 15 people showed up to a community meeting addressing the proposed ordinance on Monday in Stockton. Sheriff's Abatement Coordinator Bill Hughes said he expects a bigger turnout tonight in Tracy. That meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Larch Clover Community Center, 1003 Larch Road.

The three community meetings this week are intended to strike a balance between the needs of local residents, truck drivers and drivers of other vehicles, said Dodgie Vidad, traffic engineer for the county Public Works Department.

Hughes said he spent two years drafting the ordinance after fielding numerous complaints from the public about big rigs being parked in areas that hindered visibility.

Denise Warmerdam, legislative assistant for Supervisor Ken Vogel, suggested that Hughes conduct meetings with the San Joaquin Farm Bureau and the Board of Realtors in cities within San Joaquin County.

The Board of Realtors needs to know about the ordinance proposal because truckers often buy houses thinking it will be legal to park their truck in front of their house, Warmerdam said.

The Farm Bureau should be notified because farmers will not be affected by the ordinance. Sheriff's deputies will not hand out tickets during the grape harvest, Hughes said.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.

What's next?

After meetings with the Farm Bureau and Board of Realtors, representatives from the Sheriff's and Public Works departments will review comments they've received and possibly revise the ordinance. Then it will be sent to county Sheriff Steve Moore, who will determine if and when it will be sent to the Board of Supervisors.

Source: Bill Hughes, San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office

Reader Feedback

Ross Farrow wrote on Oct 28, 2009 4:31 PM:

" We publicized the meeting at least three times during the past two weeks, most recently in Monday's Lodi News-Sentinel and Lodinews.com. "

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PAL wrote on Oct 28, 2009 10:01 AM:

" Well, I think the reason no one from Thornton showed up was because we receive any notification of this. I dont mind the trucks parking there. There are a few truck drivers in our area so when they are off they have to park their truck somewhere close by. "

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