Blowing Rock council approves hiring parking ambassadors, sets June public hearing on enforcement changes

The Blowing Rock Town Council on Tuesday authorized hiring two part‑time parking ambassadors and agreed to hold a public hearing June 10 on proposed changes to the townparking ordinance and on contracting with Passport Parking, a private vendor staff proposed to handle citation processing and electronic payments.

The council voted to hire the part‑time ambassadors after Chief Nathan Kirk of the Blowing Rock Police Department described recommendations from a consultant and staff for year‑round enforcement, updated signage and a non‑sworn enforcement model led by Cassandra Reed, the police departmenttelecommunicator supervisor. "She presented a couple of different things, just some things to help with parking," Kirk said, summarizing the consultantrecommendations. "She recommended removing the three‑hour parking and putting it down to two hours on Main Street and Sunset Drive," he added.

The nut of the proposal is to move enforcement out of the police department and into dedicated parking staff who would also act as ambassadors to visitors. Passport Parking would provide ticket printing, QR codes and online payment processing; staff reported a reduced initial monthly software fee of $1,000 and an estimated $2,600 one‑time charge for handheld printers and supplies. Chief Kirk said Passport would also handle delinquent‑notice mailings and collections; staff said the vendor would retain a processing fee (about 2.95% plus $0.25 on card payments) and would take up to 30% of amounts collected for delinquent accounts once legal notices are sent.

Council members pressed for details. "It would help me if I could see a list of everything that Passport would do for us," Councilmember Kat said during the meeting. Staff said signage would be an additional municipal cost (roughly $1,000 estimated) and that Passport does not provide signs.

Resident Sandy Hogan raised parking as a budget issue during public comment, suggesting revenue bonds to pay for a multi‑level parking garage and offering a back‑of‑the‑envelope projection that a modest fee could generate about $1,000,000 in annual revenue. "I would just hope that you could put that on the list somewhere and just look at it and see if it's something that the town can get done," Hogan said. Council and staff treated Hogancomments as part of the broader parking conversation; no motion on a garage or bond was made.

Council approved hiring the two part‑time parking ambassadors by voice vote (Kat: Aye; David Harwood: Aye; Melissa/Millicent: Aye; Doug Madsen: Aye; Pete: Aye). The council also approved a motion to schedule a public hearing June 10 to consider contracting with Passport and ordinance changes; that motion passed unanimously.

Staff described proposed citation fines that were discussed with the consultant: a first offense at $20, second offense $30, and higher fines or collections for repeat or delinquent cases. Chief Kirk said last year the town issued about 450 parking citations, and that Passportwould provide digital ticketing (no kiosks) and the option of QR codes on printed citations for card payment. Councilmembers and staff discussed potential phases: begin enforcement using existing citation books and town code (updated in August 2023) immediately for the season and bring Passport and any ordinance changes through the June public hearing for formal adoption.

The council directed staff to continue hiring interviews for the ambassador positions immediately so enforcement could begin on the typical seasonal schedule (staff indicated enforcement commonly begins around Mother's Day and the department planned to start enforcement for the season). Passport contract and ordinance changes will return for public comment and formal consideration at the June 10 meeting.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve hiring two part‑time parking ambassadors (personnel only): passed (ayes recorded: Kat; David Harwood; Melissa/Millicent; Doug Madsen; Pete). Outcome: approved. Notes: staff said budget contains funds to cover personnel; handheld equipment ($2,600) could be covered in departmental budget. - Motion to set public hearing June 10 on contracting with Passport Parking and changes to the parking ordinance: passed (unanimous). Outcome: public hearing scheduled June 10.

Why it matters: Parking enforcement affects resident access, visitor experience and downtown merchants, and the council is weighing upfront software and processing costs against potential higher compliance and revenue capture. The public hearing will allow formal comment before any ordinance or contract is finalized.

What comes next: Staff will continue candidate interviews for the two ambassador positions to begin enforcement for the season and will return on June 10 with ordinance language and the Passport contract for public comment and possible adoption.