Council authorizes purchase of parking kiosk to pilot paid parking at Hedge Creek Falls

City Manager Reif presented a plan to pilot paid parking at Hedge Creek Falls to address rising visitation (staff corrected a prior typographical error and estimated about 40,000 visitors annually). The proposal included purchasing a basic parking kiosk (up to $15,000), revising the parking ordinance, and an example fee of $5 per two hours; staff estimated implementation costs around $15,000 and potential annual revenue in the $60,000–$70,000 range depending on enforcement and rates.

The council and the public discussed enforcement strategy (targeting peak hours vs. full‑time enforcement), local resident exemptions (annual passes or water‑bill inclusion), how to handle semitrailers and long‑term vehicles, and legal limits on earmarking fee revenue. Planning staff recommended an equipment purchase to meet a tight delivery timeline and to continue administrative work on ordinances, enforcement, signage and community‑business partnerships. Council authorized the city manager to proceed with initial kiosk procurement and to return with a detailed ordinance and fee schedule for later approval.

Public commenters urged caution to protect local access, suggested an honor system or local passes, and recommended messaging that revenues be used for trail maintenance. Staff said they would check legal constraints on assigning parking revenues to a specific fund and explore options such as a parking district or special assessment if earmarking is desired.