Oxford council approves reduced parking fee for Red Brick Reunion

The Oxford City Council adopted a resolution authorizing the city manager to reduce parking meter and street‑closure fees for the 2025 Red Brick Reunion, after event organizers asked for lower parking charges.

At the council meeting, staff described the resolution as a one‑time fee reduction for the Red Brick Reunion. Kim Dagee of Enjoy Oxford, a Red Brick Reunion organizer, told the council the event is in its 11th year and that pre‑registration shows attendees traveling from across the region, including Fort Wayne, Cleveland, Columbus and Louisville. Dagee said recent changes in sponsorship left the event with less revenue and asked the council to cut daily parking meter fees from the usual $12 to $6 to help keep the event viable.

A council member described the proposal as a “nice middle ground” and said the reduced fee and continued sponsorship made the request easier to support. Another councilor asked staff to develop objective criteria council could use for future fee reductions.

The council approved the resolution by voice vote during the meeting; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the minutes. The resolution authorizes the city manager to apply the reduced fees to the 2025 Red Brick Reunion but does not change the city’s fee ordinance permanently. The council did not specify a timeline for the staff to propose formal criteria.

The fee reduction is intended to lower attendance costs for a regional community event that draws visitors to Oxford and to support local businesses during the festival.