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City staff proposes shift to digital license-plate parking permits; residents ask about enforcement and access
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Summary
Staff proposed replacing physical hang-tags with license-plate-based digital permits (Passport vendor), raising petition thresholds for new districts and granting boundary-adjustment authority to staff; residents raised concerns about multiple cars per unit, counterfeit permits, data security and outreach for non-English speakers.
Senior engineer Jim Michiko told the commission the city is proposing to modernize its preferential permit parking program by moving from physical placards to a license-plate-based digital system that residents register online. The ordinance updates would also increase the petition threshold for new districts from 60% to 75%, give the city engineer authority to tweak district boundaries administratively, and add clarifying language to the municipal code.
Michiko said the program serves five parking districts and more than 800 households near schools, a medical center and open-space destinations. "We're proposing to update the program by transitioning to a fully digital license plate based permit system," he said, adding that enforcement officers would use handheld license-plate readers so "the system would update instantly for the police department." Staff proposed taking the ordinance to City Council on May 19 and, if approved, launching the digital permit system on August 1.
Residents asked how the digital system would handle multiple vehicles per household. Virtual speaker Flor Ramos asked, "Could we change them, like, every other week online, or would it, like, lock us out?" Staff replied that residents would have online accounts and could change the registered plate instantly as needed.
A number of Conejo Creek residents raised concerns about counterfeit and duplicated physical placards, limited curb space, and enforcement at night. Staff said a plate-based system would remove hang-tags and reduce opportunities for counterfeit permits; enforcement currently focuses on overnight hours (2 a.m.–6 a.m.) in the Conejo Creek district, and the city can still provide walk-up assistance at City Hall for residents who cannot set up online accounts.
Commissioners asked about data security and bilingual outreach. Staff said the vendor (Passport) is already used by the city for citation and parking functions and that Passport does not interface with law enforcement or state DOJ databases in the city’s current configuration. Staff committed to targeted bilingual outreach in affected neighborhoods and follow-up reporting after implementation so the commission and HOAs can evaluate whether fraud has been reduced.
The item was presented as informational; the commission provided feedback and requested a follow-up evaluation after the system launches.
