Downtown parking ordinance set to pass in April
Tue, 03/25/2025 - 1:54pm
admin
By:
Amanda Mendez, publisher
Changes are coming to parking in downtown Willow Springs. Exactly what they will be is expected to be decided during the April meeting of the Board of Aldermen.
During Thursday’s regular meeting, the aldermen heard the first reading of an ordinance that would change parking regulations. Instead of proceeding to a second reading and vote to adopt, they opted to wait for the April meeting to do so.
City officials are expected to be in contact with downtown business owners to gather feedback on the proposed ordinance. Citizens with comments or concerns can contact city hall.
The ordinance would affect parking on Main Street from North Walnut to Ferguson and replace any existing parking signs with new signs reading, “Two Hour Parking from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.”
It would also create 16 handicap spaces, one at each corner of the intersection of Main and Harris Streets, and one at each corner of the intersection of Main and Center Streets. There are currently three handicap parking spaces in the downtown area.
Parking will be restricted in the alleys north and south of Main Street, with exceptions for loading and unloading trucks.
The city also intends to clean up and chip seal the parking lot behind Willow Springs Laundry, and improve the signage directing visitors to park there.
The proposed ordinance would replace a previously board action by vote that fully removed the eight parking spaces surrounding the intersection of Main and Harris Streets.
In other action, the aldermen approved the purchase of a new sprayer for the city golf course. They accepted a bid from Turfwerks for the SmithCo Spray Star 1110 in the amount of $49,100 on the condition it comes with 3-year or comparable warranty.
City Administrator Beverly Hicks told the aldermen that current budgeted funds allocated for golf course capital could be used as a down payment and the remaining cost could be borrowed from the capital enhancement fund, making payments back with one percent interest.
In other action:
- City Clerk Heather Tooley presented a selection of records eligible for destruction. The aldermen approved the list unanimously.
- The aldermen passed an ordinance modifying liquor licensing in the city to make it mirror state statute. This was done as part of an ongoing recodification process of the city ordinances.
- The aldermen discussed and tabled ways to remove the city marshal position from Willow Springs government. For more on that, click here.
- The April meeting was rescheduled to Friday, April 25 at 5:30 p.m.
The originally published version of this story incorrectly referred to the first action of the board that removed 8 spaces from the four-way as an ordinance. It was, in fact, a vote.