Council reviews proposal for downtown residential parking permits to ease hourly parking for new units

City staff on Tuesday proposed a downtown residential parking permit that would allow one permit per residential unit and exempt permit holders from hourly parking time limits in city lots, while preserving Minnesota Street primarily for business use during daytime hours.

Joe (staff) introduced the idea as a response to increasing conversions and new residential units downtown that lack off-street parking. “Basically creating a downtown residential permit … each apartment would be allowed one residential permit,” he said, adding the permit would exempt residents from hourly parking in city lots. The draft would still restrict parking on Minnesota Street until after 5 p.m.; permit holders could park there overnight but would be subject to winter snow-emergency rules and possible removal notices.

Why it matters: Councilors said the proposal aims to avoid converting public parking to reserved stalls while giving residents a practical alternative to frequent moves. The permit would be issued to property owners to distribute to tenants (one permit per unit), and parking enforcement would check a visible permit to confirm exemption.

Discussion highlights - Permit structure and fee: Staff proposed the permit be priced “a little bit more than a reserved parking” stall but not exorbitantly; a final fee was not set. Councilors discussed options for single-season series (e.g., farmers market roll-ins) and for multi-event or multi-week fee structures in the earlier item about events. - Minnesota Street exception: On Minnesota Street, permit holders would generally not be allowed to park during business hours; they could park after 5 p.m. and overnight unless a snow emergency or other restriction required removal. - Snow emergencies and contact information: Staff said permit records would include phone and/or email contacts so enforcement could notify permit holders when vehicles must be moved for snow removal or maintenance. - Potential congestion concerns: The mayor asked whether many permits concentrated on a single block could create evening congestion; staff noted alternative numbered streets and city lots would remain available and Minnesota Street could be exempted later if needed.

Next steps Councilors expressed support for the concept and asked staff to return with a formal draft for adoption, including a proposed fee structure and implementation details. No formal action or ordinance was adopted at the Sept. 16 work session.