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Lake Forest council approves first reading of downtown parking overhaul and new LPRs; ParkLink to manage permits
Summary
The council approved first reading of a Central Business District parking ordinance, authorized a Genetec license-plate-reader contract with Minuteman and a ParkLink permit-management subscription, and directed staff to draft valet licensing; the actions passed 7–0.
The Lake Forest City Council on Feb. 2 voted 7–0 to move forward with a package of changes to downtown parking that bundles new time-zone rules, mobile permit management and automated license-plate readers for enforcement.
Staff proposed simplifying time zones in the Central Business District, moving customer parking closer to shopping and shifting employee parking to perimeter lots. Carrie Kaupp, assistant to the city manager, said the plan arose from a committee formed in August 2025 and public outreach in fall and winter. "Our goal is to create a system that supports businesses, improves customer access, and can be enforced consistently," Kaupp said.
The council authorized the city manager to sign agreements needed to implement technology. Council minutes record authorization for Minuteman Security and Life Safety to provide Genetec automated license-plate-reader equipment and setup for a first-year amount recorded in the ordinance-reading as $48,712.78, with ongoing annual maintenance of $6,267.10 (the staff presentation earlier stated a similar estimate); the council also authorized a ParkLink permit-management subscription at $4,776 per year. Kaupp told the council ParkLink eliminates physical hang tags and ties permits to license plates and that businesses can create accounts to manage shared or seasonal permits.
Council members pressed staff on enforcement logistics and signage. Chief John Burke and Kaupp said LPR units would be mounted on patrol or community-service vehicles to scan plates as officers drive through zones; early enforcement would emphasize education and warnings rather than immediate citations. Several aldermen asked that enforcement hours be explicitly added to the ordinance language on second reading so officers have clear authorization to ticket at specified times.
The omnibus motion approved five actions as a package: approve the CBD zones and grant first reading to amend chapter 78 (parking and loading); authorize the Minuteman/Genetec agreement (amount listed in the reading as $48,712.78 plus $6,267.10 annual maintenance); authorize ParkLink for permit management ($4,776 annually); retain current CBD permit pricing; and direct staff to draft a valet licensing ordinance and return with language at second reading. Kaupp said staff will launch a communications campaign and an interactive web map ahead of the planned May 2026 implementation, and staff will review signage and revisit zone designations after 3, 6 and 12 months of operation.
