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Mooresville staff outline downtown parking management plan, caution against predatory towing
Summary
Staff presented options to manage downtown parking including consistent on-street time limits, posted tow-away zones for habitual offenders, a vendor-based parking-management solution requiring ordinance changes, and near-term signage and outreach to minimize first-offender towing and avoid predatory practices.
Engineering staff updated the board April 6 on downtown parking-management work tied to a future parking deck. They reported a consultant-led strategy is underway and recommended near-term steps: standardize on-street time limits, refresh parking wayfinding signage, and use targeted ticketing rather than towing for first offenses.
Staff said town ordinances permit towing on town property for repeat violators but noted the risk of predatory towing when private companies operate without town oversight. The town would update its charter and parking ordinance before contracting with a third-party parking-management vendor; staff intends any contract to rely on an approved list of vendors to avoid out-of-area tow operators charging excessive release fees.
Board members suggested nonpunitive measures to reduce overnight towing—working with downtown bars and restaurants to provide an evening dashboard placard for customers who choose to leave vehicles overnight—and emphasized ticketing and technology (vendor-managed ticketing, permit systems) as preferred first steps.
Staff said vendor enforcement is intended to manage ticketing and collections and that an RFP to select a full-service parking-management technology/contractor will be developed by a small working group involving IT and police in the coming months.
