Council weighs weekend meters, validation options for Lakefront Park parking

Deputy City Manager Scott Davidoff updated the council on Lakefront Park parking operations and asked for direction on expanding paid parking beyond the boat-ramp area.

Davidoff said the boat-ramp trailer parking pilot recorded 2,288 transactions with gross revenue of $13,728 (net $12,927) and noted that an annual resident pass was available. He presented the inventory of existing spaces and said the engineering budget includes $1.5 million for design of a new Indiana parking lot expected to add 20–25 spaces.

Council members debated options including weekend-only meters to promote turnover, validation systems that would let restaurants validate customer parking, and the need for enforcement staff. One council member suggested parking revenue be reinvested in lakefront improvements such as lighting, benches and sand, and another recommended phasing in meters starting with weekends only.

Staff said adding validation would require a different system than the current app-based prepay setup and that the city would need to consider enforcement staffing or a parking‑attendant role rather than relying on police officers. Council asked staff to return to a future workshop with specific fee and validation options, cost estimates, and enforcement plans.

Next steps: staff will work with the vendor to analyze validation options, draft proposed weekend fees and zones, estimate enforcement staffing needs and return with options to a workshop before an ordinance or fee schedule amendment is considered.