[A/S] (fwd) The Billings, MT RV Parking Ordinance

[chasm@xxxxxxxxx]

You may recall that some weeks ago there was discussion of a "no RV 
Parking except in licensed campgrounds" ordinance in city of 
Billings, MT. Following the publicity that this ordinance received on 
many RV-related forums, the mayor and city council of Billings 
received a large number of letters and emails from RVers. Many stated 
their intention to boycott Billings, specifically because of this 
city ordiance. There was also an editorial in the Billings Gazette 
questioning the wisdom of the ordinance.

On August 15, 2005, the city council entertained public comment on 
the existing ordinance, with a view toward possibly repealing it. On 
another Yahoo group, one devoted to Wal-Mart Parking information, a 
subscriber just posted the text of the official city notes of public 
comments by two Billings area campground managers:

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JUDY BARNES, YELLOWSTONE RIVER CAMPGROUND, asked the Council to keep 
the RV ordinance in place for several reasons:

1) to collect the bed tax used to benefit buildings, rest stops, and 
tourism

2) the voluminous numbers of RVers using the West End Wal-Mart 
parking lot

3) campgrounds generate most business during the summer months of the 
year

4) many of the people writing to complain are "escapees" from 
Livingston, TX who are fulltime RVers with no fixed address who live 
free in RVs. These people drain their tanks into storm drains and 
along roadways and dump their trash in other peoples receptacles

5) local campgrounds send campers to other tourist facilities that 
bring dollar into the community

She asked the Council to look at the big picture and keep the 
ordinance in place.

CAROL LINDE, BILLINGS KOA, said the KOA, Eastwood Estate, Trailer 
Village and Yellowstone River Campground all advertise. She said they 
are outraged by the Gazette's editorial regarding the RV matter. She 
noted that the campground owners were never contacted for their 
viewpoint.

She submitted a letter outlining her views, objecting to 
the "boondocking" practice of the freeloading RVers that use public 
services without paying for the benefit. She noted the bed tax that 
is a portion of the campground fees that goes directly to the state 
general fund and for the legislators to spend as they wish.

Ms. Linde said Montana is lagging in tourism promotion compared with 
other states. She also noted that the campground's profits are kept 
and spent locally. She asked if Billings wants "freeloaders" in their 
City, as most of the letter writers are from out-of-state. She asked 
the Council to continue to enforce the RV ordinance.

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Well, now we know what these two campground owners think of RV 
owners. We're a bunch of vagabonds with no fixed addresses. We drain 
our tanks along roadways and dump our trash into other people's 
receptacles. We're nothing but a bunch of freeloaders who live free 
in RV's. (I certainly WISH it were free!)

I'd like to see the RV community as a whole make an example of 
Billings, MT, with a total boycott of the community -- don't stay 
there, don't stop there, don't even go into Montana -- until they 
become an RV-Friendly city again. On the other Group, this is being 
called the "BBC" -- the "Boycott Billings Campaign." I for one will 
participate and publicize it.

Jim O'Briant
Gilroy, CA

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