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, according to staff, escalate if unpaid after 30 days. - Parking resolution and amendments: the council adopted a resolution to create four paid parking zones in downtown with a 3-hour cap, a $2-per-hour maximum rate, and an amendment that the first hour will be free for users and handicapped spaces will be excluded from the paid zones.

Public comment and concerns Two residents spoke in opposition during the public hearing. Courtney Simcouli, a Woodstock resident (425 Hathaway Ave.), said the proposal could harm older residents and reduce safety and access: “The recent proposal poses risks ... to the citizen’s safety, well-being, access and success of local businesses.” Simcouli argued the city should consider impacts on older residents and people working later shifts.

Cassidy Simcoe, who also identified herself as a downtown parent and frequent visitor, reiterated concerns about convenience and cost for families and employees who work shifts longer than three hours.

Staff and vendor responses Jeff Stockton, a city staff member leading the parking work, told council the paid zones cover roughly 15% of public parking (about 300 spaces out of nearly 2,000), that the city’s new parking fund will hold revenue to pay for enforcement and maintenance, and that enforcement would not be used to fund general city operations. "Any money collected from this will go into the parking fund to pay for parking," Stockton said.

Gary Means, representing Pivot Parking (the enforcement/technology vendor), described technical and operational details for implementing first-hour-free rules and license-plate-based enforcement. Means said a first-hour-free program is possible, but the system typically requires drivers to start a (free) session so the vendor can log license plates and later notify users when their free time is nearing expiration. He said, "there isn't a way ... to start the session and end the session without the person doing anything in that first hour-free scenario."

Security, access and enforcement policies Council and staff discussed safety and enforcement at length. Stockton said the parking deck and lots are monitored and that downtown patrols are being increased (officers on foot Thursday–Sunday, roughly 2 p.m.–2 a.m.). The council also asked staff to adopt a policy preventing duplicate tickets for the same vehicle if both a police officer and the contracted parking enforcement observer encounter it; staff recommended applying that policy to the contracted enforcement company and to write a formal policy to avoid double tickets.

Other clarifications and next steps - Start date and outreach: the resolution sets a start date of no earlier than June 1, 2025, to allow time for public education and outreach. Staff estimated at least six weeks of public notice and vendor setup before enforcement begins. - Parking fund: revenues will be held in a parking enterprise fund and will be used for enforcement, maintenance of the parking deck and lots, and related parking operations—not police/fire salaries. - Handicap spaces: Council directed staff to exclude physically designated handicapped parking spaces from the paid zones for the initial policy; staff will nevertheless capture utilization data for those spaces so council can revisit time limits if necessary. - Data collection: staff and the vendor will collect baseline data and then additional data after the program begins to measure circling and occupancy; the council requested the city begin data collection in May to provide baseline information ahead of any enforcement start date.

Council action - Fee schedule adoption: motion to adopt the fee schedule as presented with an amendment to preempt secondary citations by the contracted parking company (mover: Councilman Potts; second: Councilman Wolf). Vote: carried 5–0 (one absence: Councilman Usher). - Paid-parking resolution and amendments: motion to adopt the resolution establishing paid zones with amendments (first hour free; handicapped spaces excluded; 3-hour cap; second and third hours priced at $2/hour). Motion (mover: not specified in the record; second: Councilman Potts). Vote: carried 5–0 (one absence: Councilman Usher).

What the city will monitor Staff will provide updates on utilization, enforcement impacts, security metrics for the deck, and the vendor’s ability to support a frictionless first-hour-free option. The council indicated a willingness to iterate on rates and time limits after the initial data collection and a trial period.

Ending: the council framed the adopted program as a limited, data-driven pilot intended to increase turnover of the most in-demand curb spaces while using a dedicated parking fund to support maintenance and enforcement. The council also emphasized public outreach and promised to revisit details based on the data collected in the first months after implementation.