Downtown residents press council to fund enforcement and gates at Galloway parking ramp

Deb Marshall, chair of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, and Diane Leader, the association—s vice chair, told the Eau Claire City Council their group has spent hundreds of hours documenting misuse and safety problems at the Galloway Parking Ramp and asked the council to include corrective actions in the 2026 budget and CIP.

Marshall said her prior emails to staff left key questions unanswered and that the association needs clarity on whether the Passport Enforcement Module (a license-plate recognition system that issues tickets) and controlled-access gates are already owned, budgeted for in 2026, or planned for later. "If kiosks go up first and the ramp stays as it is, the problem will only get worse," she said, urging patrols and enforcement before encouraging more people to use the ramp.

Leader presented a list of specific corrective actions the association seeks: fully operating the Passport enforcement module to collect fees and fines; installing access control to prevent nonpayment and illegal uses (exhibition driving); and committing budget or CIP funds to those items in 2026 so the ramp can be safe and revenue-generating.

City staff did not provide a line-item budget answer in the hearing transcript; both Marshall and Leader said they had discussed the issue with staff and expected a council amendment or budget commitment.

The council did not take final action on ramp funding during the Nov. 10 meeting; the association indicated it expected a council amendment would be introduced to add enforcement measures to the budget.