The Lockhart City Council approved Ordinance 2025‑26 on Nov. 5 to create a residential parking permit area on Bowie Street from South Medina to Travis Street, restricting on‑street parking between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Lockhart Independent School District school days to permitted residents.

Police Chief Gary Williamson explained the residential permit program framework approved earlier this year and said petitions must show majority support; he reported the Bowie Street petition included signatures from 15 of the street’s 19 homes (about 78%) and that Public Works had reviewed the application for compliance with city code. Under the ordinance, property owners in the designated area will receive hang‑tag permits; vehicles without permits may be subject to warning, citations and towing after an initial warning period.

Multiple residents testified at the public hearing. Petition organizer Jimmy Bertram and neighbors said high school students routinely park in the neighborhood during school hours, creating traffic, trash and safety concerns. Bertram described reports of students lingering in cars with loud radios, fights and vandalism in rear alleys, and said neighbors sought enforcement to protect residents and children walking home. Other residents — Tamika Hedspeth, Adriana Vasquez and Rick Bloom — said they supported the permit area for safety and quality‑of‑life reasons.

Council approved the ordinance with a 7–0 vote (motion by Mayor Pro Tem Angie Gonzalez Sanchez; second by Councilman Michaelson). Chief Williamson said enforcement will initially be complaint‑driven with a period of warnings before citations and towing are used, and he encouraged neighbors to report violations so officers may verify and take action.