The Missouri Military Academy (MMA) will no longer have to petition the city for no parking along the front of the school during its events.

The council unanimously approved the change with Mayor Vicki Briggs abstaining from the votes to permanently make it no parking on Grand Street from Pollock to Promenade Street. Each time MMA has an event such as its recent graduation or the upcoming Miss Missouri the no parking signs come out and a request has to be made to the city for the occasion.

“One of the concerns is the frequency with which their yard gets rutted up during these special events,” Mexico Public Works Director Drew Williford said during a meeting on May 22 where the resolution was approved.

Williford said the city conducted a study and evaluated different items. Property owners nearby were contacted without the city receiving any pushback.

“This is a process that has occurred over about a year or so,” Williford said.

Williford said MMA also has made a request to close parking on the south side of Pollock Street but the city is still reviewing it because of parking restrictions already in place on the north side of the street. He said that request was separated from the Grand Street request because there has been some pushback.

“We have received some concerns about that particular one,” Williford said.