Council holds first reading on paid downtown parking plan as public reaction splits

The New Braunfels City Council on May 12 heard the first reading of an ordinance to amend the city code to establish a managed, paid-parking program for much of the downtown two‑hour zone and held a public hearing that produced mixed reactions from business owners, residents and the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce.

The measure under consideration would convert a third of downtown on‑street spaces that are currently in a two‑hour zone into a managed system with a first hour free, $2 per hour thereafter and an all‑day cap of $10; an expanded employee permit program; an opt‑in program for private off‑street lots; and a high‑visibility customer‑service ambassador program operated by the city’s vendor, Interstate Parking. City staff recommended the ordinance for a first reading; council did not record a final vote on adoption during the meeting.

Why it matters: Council members and staff said the program is intended to increase turnover for short‑term parking in front of businesses, reduce congestion from cars circling for spaces, and channel fees into a downtown parking fund to pay for operations and future investments such as property leases or a parking structure. Opponents…