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Oshkosh council approves app-based parking system, $3 daily all-day pass
Summary
The Common Council approved an ordinance and a fee resolution to implement an application-based parking management system using the Passport app, add a $3 all-day daily permit and retain two-hour free parking; signs will be installed and paper permits allowed through August.
The Oshkosh Common Council on April 8 adopted an ordinance to allow an application-based parking management system and approved a separate resolution to set parking utility fees that include a $3 daily all-day permit and two hours of free parking.
Council members and staff said the changes are intended to improve turnover downtown and give businesses options for validated or prepaid customer parking.
Councilmember Larson, who led the discussion, said the $3 all‑day option is designed to help downtown businesses while preserving short-term customer turnover. "That is we're gonna decide in a minute what that price is, but proposed to be $3 per," Larson said during debate. Director Collins said the city is working with Passport on rollout, will coordinate messaging with Oshkosh Media and the Business Improvement District and that paper permits already sold by businesses can be used through August to allow a phased transition.
Larson described other features that staff and Passport will support: the ability for businesses to buy daily passes for customers as validation codes, and a short-term process to allow overnight parking in municipal lots via the Passport app. Collins said signs already arrived and will be installed immediately; she said the city will not use QR codes on signs after IT staff and Passport raised security concerns, and users will be directed to search for Passport in app stores.
The ordinance (25-163) proposed amending Chapter 27 and 27a of the Oshkosh municipal code to permit an application-based system and to allocate parking enforcement authority between the city and the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. The council voted 6-0 to adopt the ordinance; a separate vote on the parking fees resolution (25-170) also passed 6-0.
Councilmember Larson asked about outreach; Collins said the city is coordinating social media and press releases with Oshkosh Media and Passport and will share materials with the BID. Staff also said daily permit sales can occur monthly rather than seasonally, and the city will allow existing paper permit inventory to be used through August.
The changes take effect after publication and implementation steps by staff; council members and staff said they would follow with public information so downtown users understand the new permit and enforcement approach.
