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San Marcos makes four downtown parking spaces permanent for police after pilot period
Summary
After a temporary pilot, the San Marcos City Council approved permanent designation of four downtown parking spaces for police use during evening hours (5PM–3AM), directing staff to improve signage, stripe the spaces and run a communications push to reduce towing confusion.
The San Marcos City Council voted unanimously to make permanent a pilot that reserves four downtown parking spaces for San Marcos Police Department vehicles between 5 p.m. and 3 a.m. The spaces have been temporarily posted since December; city staff reported that enforcement during the pilot resulted in three citations, one warning and ten tows over a roughly 3.5‑month period.
Jean Baggett of the Downtown Association testified in support of permanent spaces, saying an on‑site officer presence improves downtown safety and relationships with businesses. Parking and public‑works staff described efforts to improve signage and to add a phone number on signs so towed drivers can easily reach the non‑emergency police line. The city marshal and parking‑enforcement staff described the process used before towing (attempting to contact the registered owner) and urged the council to make behavior expectations clearer for residents, students and visitors.
Council members discussed concerns about confusing, overlapping rules (two‑hour daytime parking limits versus the 5PM–3AM reserved window), possible 24/7 designation alternatives, and pilot duration. Staff said the spaces can be delineated with special paint and stripes and that signage improvements and a communications push to the university and public would proceed if the ordinance passed. The council asked staff to monitor tow volumes and customer complaints, to coordinate with the parking advisory board and downtown manager for outreach, and to return if signage/striping adjustments are needed.
Quotes: "I've heard some positive feedback anecdotally from a few of the businesses about the increased presence downtown of our police force, especially in the evenings," said Josie Faleta, downtown manager.
What’s next: staff will stripe and mark the four designated spaces, finalize improved signage with a contact number, and run communications through city channels and the university to reduce confusion and towing incidents. Council asked for data on enforcement and to review the pilot’s impact if problems persist.
