(Okoboji)– The Okoboji city council Tuesday tabled action on two proposed amendments to the city’s parking ordinance. One would add and clarify no parking zones along one side of Lakeshore Drive in the vicinity of Okoboji Boats and O’Farrell Sisters…both owned by Butch Parks. The other would increase the fine for violating the city’s parking regulations from five dollars to 25-dollars.
The proposed amendments are again pitting Parks against the city. Parks again accused the city of discriminating against him and his businesses. He says the city based the proposed parking changes on congestion that happened during Winter Games weekend. Parks maintained that isn’t a fair comparison. But councilman Jim Delperdang says the city has no guarantee of the problem not returning. He says it’s a public safety issue the city must address.
But some residents are questioning the city’s motive, saying they have no problems with the current parking arrangement. Some friends and relatives of O’Farrell Sisters say the proposed changes would make it very difficult or impossible to stay in business. One man accused the city council of combining the parking issue with the denial of a liquor license for O’Farrell Sisters, which is the topic of a hearing today (Wednesday) in Dickinson County District Court. Delperdang became outraged at the accusation and strongly denied the issue had anything to do with the liquor license refusal.
After hearing more comments, the council tabled the matter to its next meeting. In the meantime, they want to hear from more neighbors in the area.
