Paid parking adopted downtown in October; committee reports intermittent kiosk software issues and approves 2026 meeting schedule

The Chair reported that, following years of study, the downtown parking change took effect in early October: free parking on Elm Street and a portion of South Avenue was converted to paid parking while Park Street was opened as three-hour free parking to increase available spaces.

The Chair said initial public feedback has been "surprisingly" positive, with several residents and visitors reporting they were now able to find spots on Elm Street. At the same time, retailers reported customers and employees struggling with the new machines and concerns over usability. "We've had a number of peoplecall and say, 'I'm at the kiosk and it's just spinning,'" the Chair said.

Committee staff and the vendor have traced many complaints to intermittent software problems rather than connectivity; the Chair estimated the problem affected roughly 15% of interactions. The vendor was onsite and staff installed signage advising users to call the office when a kiosk stalls so staff can intervene in real time; if problems continue the Chair said staff will request replacement machines from the vendor.

On administrative matters, Nancy (speaker 3) moved to adopt a reduced- meeting schedule for 2026 (Wednesday, March 4; Wednesday, June 24; Wednesday, Sept. 9; Wednesday, Dec. 2). Kirsten (speaker 2) seconded the motion and the Chair said the calendar was approved unanimously.

Committee members also noted related operational items: the lumberyard lot is set to be available for unlimited parking after 10:30 a.m., Richmond Hill remains an underused option, and a library-funded parking study is pending (the library retains 76 dedicated spaces in the Center School lot). Staff will collect post-holiday usage data to assess whether additional tweaks to the parking plan are required.