Waterloo Times

Cedar Falls residents are seeking help from the city council to reconsider some of the parking rules downtown in municipal lots.

During the council's meeting Feb. 20, two residents brought parking grievances before the board. Julie Shimek, a resident of downtown for the past 15 years and an owner of a downtown business for more than a quarter-century, approached the council with concerns over the 48-hour parking ordinance in the lots. 

Shimek explained she was recently out of town and her flight was delayed due to weather. However, she was ticketed for violating the 48-hour rule when she came home. She also argued that the ordinance was not consistently enforced. 

She asked the council to change the ordinance on Main Street, which, she said, neither she, nor the rest of her community knew about. Shimek added that she had bought a parking permit for the lots, which was good for three months. Yet, she was still ticketed and didn't initially know why.

"I'm here to ask for a referral to try and get that changed, at least for residents, so that the residents can at least be allowed to park longer and not have to move your car every 48 hours," she told the board. "I will state that all of the brochures downtown do say parking permits may be purchased for unlimited parking in all municipal lots. 

"There was nothing on the website when you go on to buy your parking permit, it also says parking permits may be purchased for unlimited parking in municipal lots," she added. "Permits are lot specific. Parking is on a first-come, first-serve basis. The information the city is putting out to us buying them is not consistent with your ordinance and it kind of blindsides a few people."

Shimek told the council this was the first time she'd received a ticket, even though she had left her car in the same spot for 48 hours before. 

She asked that the council reconsider parts of the ordinance, as the rules make it hard for downtown residents and business owners to take a weekend away or substitute walking and biking for cars in the summer because they have to constantly move their vehicles.

Don Blau, another resident and downtown property owner, supported Shimek, asking that the parking ordinance be changed. 

"I feel Cedar Falls has made headway with downtown," he said, ''[but] the parking has been a dilemma for two decades."

The council discussed the issue and proposed a referral, making a motion to consider parking permits for residents in all municipal lots downtown. 

There was some debate about doing this on a per-lot basis, but the council voted to send the request to the Finance & Business Operations Committee to consider a potential new ordinance for a later council meeting.