LANCASTER TWP — Township supervisors held a special meeting Monday morning to address rumors about parking ordinances and potential problems they might pose for a popular community auction slated for Saturday.

About 25 community members, two police officers, supervisors, the township's manager and solicitor attended the meeting, which was called to address a misunderstanding about parking rules.

The upcoming spring consignment machinery auction, held annually by Supervisor Dennis Kerr at his township property for 50 years, became a point of contention after last year's event yielded reports of no-parking signs being moved and parking occurring on both sides of the road impeding traffic. Additionally, there were reports of neighbors' properties being damaged by people parking on them during heavy rain.

Supervisors Chairman Joe Plesniak said the township does not have a no-parking ordinance.

“It hasn't gotten to the point where it's out of hand, so at this point we haven't looked at that,” he said.

However, community members thought that permanent and more restrictive parking was going to be discussed at the special public meeting.

“We were told no parking anywhere, anytime, hereafter,” one community member said.

Plesniak reiterated that this was not the case and was never the intention.

“Really, today is just about making sure that everybody really is on the same page and to go out and put those parking signs up,” Plesniak said.

To enact a parking ordinance, he said the process would involve discussion at the regular board meetings that would be publicly advertised.

The township abides by state law for parking concerns and defers to the police department for other safety issues that might arise, such as parking on roads with high speed limits or hills that impede vision.

Two of Kerr's neighbors reported that they tie rope across their property to deter people from parking there. They also noted that they “can't ask for a better neighbor” than Kerr and enjoy his auction.

Lancaster police Sgt. Michael Cornell explained to those in attendance that the discussion was not a personal attack on any single person or event as police received “between five to 10” complaints on average for parking issues at auctions throughout the township. The fine for parking by a no-parking sign is $120, Cornell said.

After the meeting, road workers, Plesniak, Kramer, Reese and Supervisor Kris Kniess, vice chairman, went to Scott Ridge Road to place no-parking signs at the crests of hills and 100 feet in each direction on the west side of the road, as suggested by township police.