Council directs review of resident‑parking program amid complaints of permit abuse

The City Council voted to direct city staff and the solicitor’s office to return within 30 days with policy and ordinance recommendations to overhaul the resident parking program. The resolution responds to resident complaints that permits and guest passes are being over‑issued, sometimes to nonresidents or short‑term rental operators.

"The resident parking program should prioritize availability and affordability to year round residents," the sponsor told colleagues during debate. City staff described the current administration of the sticker system and said roughly 14,000 stickers are mailed annually; nonresident street stickers cost $10 per year, a level staff said is far below comparable cities. The finance director noted cases where a single deeded address had as many as 16 resident stickers and a business entity was able to obtain multiple stickers by having vehicles registered to the company name.

The resolution asks for several specific proposals: a clear standard for qualifying as a year‑round resident (including use of the two‑tier tax designation or a Rhode Island driver’s license with a Newport address), a two‑tier fee structure that preserves affordability for true residents while charging nonresident entities more, caps on the number of permits per applicant or address, and stepped increases in enforcement and ticket penalties.

Councilors and residents urged attention to edge cases such as students who maintain out‑of‑state registrations, condo associations with private restrictions, and areas where off‑street parking is limited. The council adopted the resolution and asked administration to return recommended language and implementation steps.