Police to pilot parking enforcement bollards downtown; broader paid‑parking plan discussed

The police department plans a pilot deployment of solar‑powered enforcement bollards at about 12 downtown locations to monitor no‑parking zones and notify officers when violations occur.

The pilot, described by police and staff, will focus on side streets and block faces off Main Street and will not target state roadways. The devices are solar powered, require no infrastructure, capture images for review and allow staff to set enforcement parameters for specific locations and events. Staff said the vendor collects a portion of fees assessed from citations and the city receives the remainder; citations would only be processed after police review of captured images.

City staff framed the pilot as an initial step to see whether new technology can reduce chronic block‑face parking that prevents short‑term turnover for downtown merchants. If successful, the city could consider expanding to a broader parking management strategy that might include pay‑to‑park options, technology such as QR codes, and variable rates for peak periods. Staff cited New Braunfels as a nearby example that recently implemented paid parking.

Council members raised equity concerns for residents and merchants and asked about exemptions for locals; staff said the system can be adjusted to exclude preapproved license plates. Staff proposed a roughly three‑month pilot after installation and committed to reporting results to council.

Discussion vs. decision: the pilot installation was announced as an operational pilot; council did not approve a citywide paid parking program at the meeting. Staff said they will monitor results and return with recommendations.