Residents urge stronger enforcement and better outreach as council considers permit plan

Dozens of residents who spoke during the study session urged the council to fix enforcement before relying on a permit program and asked for better bilingual and paper outreach. Multiple commenters said they support permit parking in principle but worry the program could create new costs for low‑income households and make life harder for people experiencing homelessness.

"I don't think it makes sense to have people to pay for a system won't actually end up freeing up parking," said Eric Perez, a resident who cautioned that many residents live in multifamily homes with limited off‑street parking. Several speakers pressed staff to provide clear enforcement plans; Fred Hoover said, "If we could just get the council to enforce the current laws, then I think that'll do a lot for the parking." Staff and the police chief responded that enforcement resources are limited and urged residents to report abandoned or long‑parked vehicles to the department so officers can tag and remove them. Staff also reiterated that the survey and meeting notices were provided in English and Spanish and pledged to expand outreach methods (mailers, pop‑ups, paper copies).

The public comments covered a range of on‑the‑ground concerns — blocked sidewalks, cars left for days, safety walking to distant lots, and the affordability of guest and second permits — and helped frame council questions about thresholds, enforcement staffing and phased implementation.