Petition Statement:

We, the undersigned residents and community members, are calling on the City Council to reject the proposal to implement paid parking in city-owned lots, including the parking lot off Third Street that the community uses to access Centennial Park and other nearby public spaces.

City-owned parking is public infrastructure. It is funded by taxpayers, maintained with public dollars, and exists for one clear purpose: to provide free and equal access to public spaces for everyone. Turning these lots into paid parking fundamentally changes that purpose and creates an unnecessary barrier between residents and their own community.

The parking lot off Third Street is not just a convenience—it is a primary access point to Centennial Park, where families gather, children play, events are held, and residents come together. Adding a parking fee to access this area would discourage participation and place a financial barrier on everyday community life.

This proposal is often justified as a way to generate revenue, but relying on paid parking in public lots as a funding source is a short-sighted and ineffective approach. Using access to public space as a revenue tool is not sound long-term planning, and the idea that it is needed “just for revenue” is not a strong enough reason to limit access to public property.

This policy will not affect everyone equally. It will disproportionately impact families, seniors, working residents, and local taxpayers who already contribute to the funding and upkeep of these facilities. Charging additional fees to use public property amounts to a form of double payment for basic access.

Beyond the financial impact, this policy would change how people experience their own community. When residents have to consider cost before visiting public spaces, attending events, or using city facilities, participation declines. Over time, that weakens community engagement and reduces overall public use of shared spaces.

There are also concerns about fairness and trust. Public spaces should remain open and accessible without financial barriers. Once cities begin charging for access to basic public infrastructure, it sets a precedent that public property is no longer truly public in practice.

We are not opposed to responsible management of city resources. However, we are firmly opposed to turning public access into a paid privilege.

For these reasons, we respectfully urge the City Council to reject the implementation of paid parking in all city-owned lots, including the Third Street lot used to access Centennial Park, and to preserve these spaces as free, open, and accessible to the entire community.

We the undersigned call for:

No paid parking in city-owned lots
Protection of free access via the Third Street Centennial Park parking lot