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Lodi improvement committee backs halt to ticketing of downtown employees, will press City Council to clarify permits
Summary
After testimony from a downtown employee who presented a 186-signature petition, the Lodi Improvement Committee voted to recommend that City Council temporarily cease ticketing verified downtown employees and clarify permit-versus-public parking rules. The committee will bring the item to the next available council meeting.
A majority of the Lodi Improvement Committee voted April 14 to recommend that City Council temporarily stop ticketing verified downtown employees and clarify permit parking rules after hearing testimony from downtown employee Olivia Miller.
Miller told the committee she and other downtown workers have been ticketed while on the clock and described safety problems walking to vehicles at night, including a 2023 break-in. "We're getting tickets while we're at work which is thousands of dollars in tickets employees are paying while supporting the economy of Lodi," Miller said, and she presented a petition with 186 signatures seeking immediate relief and a longer-term employee-permit system.
The committee discussed short-term and long-term responses. Members offered to help Miller compile documentation and recommended she present at the City Council meeting; as a backup the committee agreed to take a formal vote to demonstrate advisory support. Committee members asked staff about legal authority, permitting logistics and enforcement mechanics; staff advised that some changes may require council action and time to implement.
In a roll-call vote the committee approved a motion "to cease the ticketing and clarify permit parking versus public parking and to bring this recommendation to City Council as soon as possible." Members voting yes included Member Sto, Member Gerales, Vice Chair Hair and Chair Davis. The committee directed staff to work with Miller, collect supporting documents (petition PDFs, examples of citations, pay stubs if needed), and request an agenda slot at the next available council meeting so committee members can attend and present the recommendation.
Why it matters: Downtown employees said fines are creating financial strain and may discourage people from working downtown; the committee framed the recommendation as an immediate, narrow fix (a temporary enforcement pause for verified employees) while longer-term parking and safety solutions are developed.
Next steps: The committee will send a recommendation and supporting materials to City Council and follow the city's agenda-submission timeline; staff said adding a committee recommendation is expected to take several weeks and would likely appear at a future council meeting in June or July.
