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Bad timing for new permit rules

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Burbank’s new permit system for oversized vehicles — requiring owners of RVs or even some raised pickup trucks to get a daily $5 parking permit on residential streets — is a solution in search of a problem.

Never mind that the City Council approved these cock-eyed rules before motorists could even pay for and obtain a permit online, forcing them to mail it to City Hall in advance or go in person.

The last time we checked, Burbank is dealing with a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, a police department in flux, coordinating centennial celebrations and embroiled in a legal fight to keep secret which employees got what bonuses. The Leader, by the way, has its day in court late next week on the bonus issue. Stay tuned.

But somehow, despite all of these more pressing issues, city officials saw fit to press forward with the permits, eager to tie off what apparently had been an issue three years ago. It may be a complaint-based enforcement program, but drivers of raised vehicles may still want to OK their mode of transportation with their neighbors nonetheless.

Even with a $5 parking permit, vehicles that are longer than 22 feet, or higher and wider than 8 feet, will still be prohibited from parking within 80 feet of any intersection in a residential neighborhood.

If we were an oversized-vehicle owner, these discriminatory rules would seem ripe for a lawsuit — something you’d think City Hall would have figured out a way to avoid by now.

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