Monona committee approves ordinance to let Community Service Officer issue parking citations

The City of Monona Finance and Personnel Committee voted to approve Ordinance 2-25-789 on Feb. 3, authorizing the Community Service Officer to issue citations for parking violations.

Committee members said the change mainly formalizes enforcement the city has already tried informally near the high school and elsewhere. Mayor O'Connor asked for the motion to approve and the measure passed by voice vote; a roll-call tally was not recorded in the committee transcript.

Committee discussion focused on scope and training. City staff said the ordinance expands the officer’s authority beyond placing warnings on windshields so the officer can issue formal citations for parking violations anywhere in the city, not only near the school district. A staff member noted the position has been issuing warnings in the high school area for about a year.

Members also discussed training. A committee member asked whether the officer would receive additional training. Staff replied that training is handled at the discretion of the police chief and that a training process was discussed with the chair of public safety; the committee emphasized coordination with the city attorney’s office so prosecutors would have the information needed to pursue citations.

Committee members also confirmed that the officer’s salary was included in Monona’s 2025 budget, so no additional salary appropriation is needed to implement the ordinance.

The committee moved on after the voice vote. Further implementation steps — including any specific training requirements or formal protocol for referring prosecutions to the city attorney’s office — were left to police department direction and are expected to be handled administratively.