Committee directs enforcement of overnight parking permits on frontage roads, urges public notice

The West Allis Public Safety Committee directed staff to begin enforcing a city code that requires overnight parking permits for vehicles parked on frontage or service drives.

Engineering staff briefed the committee that the code has long required permits but enforcement had lapsed in many areas; they recommended a phased approach with initial warnings, temporary signage, and targeted outreach to property owners and tenants. The engineering presenter said the code’s alternate-side parking rules are waived on service drives but the overnight permit requirement remains on the books and has not been consistently enforced.

Members discussed practicalities of notifying residents and property owners. One committee member suggested temporary wood-frame signs with dated notices and sending letters or emails to owners; another said property owners are responsible for informing tenants. Several members emphasized that enforcement should be about consistency and fairness rather than revenue generation. “Let’s say we enforce it not so much as for money but for consistency,” a member said.

The committee agreed to move forward and tasked Public Works/Engineering with determining signage and notification logistics; the police department was asked to begin issuing warnings before citations and to coordinate timing with public notices. The chair said the matter would be referred for implementation details and enforcement logistics.

No budget amendment or timeline for the notice period was specified in the transcript; members discussed various outreach options and urged a reasonable notice period so residents could obtain permits.