UPDATE: Just to clarify, the city still has the legal right to tow cars for street cleaning, and will continue to tow for special street cleaning taking place throughout the city (wherever you see the big red and white 'No Parking' posters). City spokesman Jeff Pirro said that, as an administrative policy, the city is not towing cars for regular nightly street cleaning.

A few weeks ago we wrote that, at the direction of the Council, Mayor Harry Tutunjian had resumed the towing of cars for street cleaning. This was after the Council sent a proposed ordinance to double the fine for parking in a no-parking zone back to committee.

However, the Mayor told us this weekend that is not the case. Tutunjian said the city did NOT resume the towing of cars for street cleaning, so downtown residents can rest assured they won't wake up in the morning to a missing car if they park on the wrong side of the street. (The city does still have the right to tow cars for safety/traffic reasons, like if you're parked in a tow-away zone or in an unsafe manner.)

You will, however, still get a $35 ticket, and possibly dirty looks from neighbors who don't appreciate the car-length section of un-swept street, so fair warning. The $35 ticket doubles after 14 days.

If you've been towed in the past few weeks, let us know in the comments. Also, how do you feel about the Mayor's decision to not tow? Do you think he should have followed the Council's direction?

Full disclosure: I live downtown and have been towed for street cleaning more times than I can remember.