Parking committee seeks applicants

ROSEBURG, Ore. – The Roseburg City Council is forming a new Downtown Parking Committee to improve the parking program – and is seeking interested applicants.

The City is taking applications from people who will review existing parking operations, develop new recommendations and serve as community ambassadors for an updated parking management program for downtown and the Laurelwood neighborhood. Applications are due by 5 p.m. Monday, April 21.

The committee will have 11 members who will include City Councilor Zack Weiss as chair, Community Development Department Director Stuart Cowie as the staff liaison, an Umpqua Community College representative and eight others who understand the parking needs of customers, employees and/or residents, and demonstrate an ability to listen, collaborate and consider different perspectives.

The additional seats will be filled by one downtown resident, a Laurelwood neighborhood resident, a downtown nonprofit representative, a downtown retail store owner, a downtown restaurant owner, a downtown personal services owner (such as a salon, tattoo studio or barbershop), a downtown professional services representative (such as an accounting firm, law office or consulting agency), and a downtown business owner who needs short-term customer parking.

The committee is expected to meet four times, every other week, on Thursdays starting in May.

The committee will consider different parking management strategies and determine the best way to balance the Off-Street Parking Fund, an enterprise fund intended to pay for off- and on-street parking enforcement as well as the maintenance and security of parking meters, parking lots and the Downtown Parking Garage. Committee members will need to consider the unique and diverse needs of residents, businesses and visitors when developing recommendations.

The committee’s activities are expected to include reviewing on-street parking time limits, on-street paid parking zones, off-street free and permit parking, neighborhood permit parking and parking enforcement hours. The committee will review existing parking operations, financial data and enforcement; develop parking management guiding principles; seek direct feedback from downtown and Laurelwood residents and businesses; and recommend the best parking management plan to the City Council using the 2021 Downtown Parking Assessment and Plan.

Apply using an online application or request a paper copy by emailing cdd@roseburgor.gov. Applicants can also print out the online form and submit that at Roseburg City Hall, 900 S.E. Douglas Ave.

For more information, contact the Community Development Department at cdd@roseburgor.gov or 541-492-6750.