Woodstock council approves paid downtown parking with first hour free; handicapped spaces excluded

The Woodstock City Council on April 14 adopted a fee schedule and a resolution to create paid parking zones covering parts of downtown, approving time limits and enforcement procedures while also amending the plan to make the first hour free and to exclude handicapped spaces from the paid zones.

Council members said the changes are intended to increase turnover in the most-used curbside spaces while using user fees to maintain parking infrastructure. The council voted 5–0, with Councilman Usher absent, to adopt the fee schedule and later carried the implementing resolution with the first-hour-free and handicapped exclusions.

Why it matters: downtown business owners have urged a short-term parking program to improve turnover of curbside parking in front of stores and restaurants. Council and staff said a modest paid zone covering about 15%–19% of the public parking inventory is intended to free up short-term spaces, pay for enforcement and maintenance, and avoid shifting those costs to taxpayers.

What council approved and why - Fee schedule: Council adopted amendments to the municipal fee schedule that add paid-parking fines and enforcement rules. Staff told the council these additions do not by themselves create paid zones; they add the fines and processing fees to Chapter 4 of the city code so a later resolution can establish specific paid zones and rates. - Fines and fee examples given by staff (Jeff Stockton, city staff): overtime in short-term zones $30; handicap parking violations $225; paid parking rate set at up to $2 per hour plus processing fees; nonpayment consequences start at $30 and,…