Woodstock council adopts paid downtown parking ordinance; program to begin April 15

The Woodstock City Council on March 10 adopted a new paid-parking ordinance that creates four paid parking zones downtown, authorizes enforcement by a contracted parking management firm and sets program start and outreach dates.

The ordinance, codified as a replacement of municipal code chapter 42, article 3, authorizes paid parking zones set by council resolution, establishes a $2-per-hour maximum for on-street paid parking (not including processing fees), and directs signage, hours and time limits to be set by resolution. Council voted 5-0 to approve the ordinance with Councilman Usher absent.

Why it matters: Council and staff said the program is intended to improve turnover in front of storefronts and make it easier for customers to find short-term parking, while keeping long-term parking available in the free parking deck.

Key provisions and schedule - Paid parking zones: Council authorized creation of paid parking zones by resolution and will adopt maps for the first four zones on March 24. The staff presentation identified about 287 public on-street spaces in the initial zones: Chambers and East Main Street (~160 spaces), Main Street from Mill Road to Fowler Street (~58), Market Street (Mill to Oak, ~16), and the Mill Street lot (~53). These figures exclude private lots that already charge for parking. - Price and limits: The ordinance caps paid parking at $2 per hour; staff recommended a typical 3-hour maximum in paid spaces. Processing or technology fees are separate from the $2 cap. - Enforcement hours and start dates: Staff proposed 7 days a week enforcement from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The rollout timeline in staff remarks calls for public outreach starting April 1, fee-schedule updates April 14, and program launch April 15. - Fines and appeals: Staff proposed an initial citation of $30 that escalates (recommended) to $60 after a 14–30 day nonpayment window. The ordinance establishes a Woodstock Parking Citation Enforcement Hearing Board (members appointed by majority vote of council) to hear civil appeals of citations; final appeals may be taken to municipal court. The ordinance requires that the parking notice include payment and appeal instructions and sets deadlines for requesting hearings (the ordinance contemplates a 14-day minimum notice for certain cases and a hearing-request window). Staff said on-site citation notices will be placed on vehicles when issued and mailed notices follow. - Enforcement and vendor role: The city has contracted with Pivot Parking for management; the code creates the role of a parking control officer (PCO) and clarifies that PCOs are not police but may issue citations. Staff said the parking deck will remain free and emphasized the deck as a free long-term option (6XX spaces referenced in the presentation). - Technology and data: Staff and a Pivot representative discussed license-plate-recognition (LPR) data. Pivot representative Gary Means described two data types: “reads” (every plate the system reads) and “hits” (records related to unpaid citations). He said reads are commonly retained about 30 days and hits may be kept longer (90 days or more in some jurisdictions). City staff recommended matching the police department’s 30-day retention for reads and housing any formal retention/disposal rules in a council policy manual entry; staff also recommended a prohibition on sale of the data be considered.

Council members and staff emphasized that the free parking deck supports the paid on-street program and that the objective is to rotate short-term spaces for customers. Several council members and staff answered questions about notice timing, mailing and hearing windows; staff noted an on-vehicle notice includes payment and appeal instructions and that mailed notices are used for subsequent escalation.

The ordinance also adds a framework for residential permit parking (to be established later by resolution if needed) and clarifies definitions for electric personal transportation devices and modified golf carts where relevant to the parking chapter.

Public outreach, signage installation, parking ambassadors/PCO hiring and training were listed as tasks to complete between adoption and the April 15 start date.

"The parking deck will remain free," Stockton said during the meeting when describing how the deck complements the on-street program.

Council vote: Motion to approve the ordinance carried 5-0 with one absence (Councilman Usher).