WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau City Council has approved the purchase of electronic parking permit software and license plate recognition equipment to complete the recently revamped downtown parking structure.
“It’s something that has been in the works for some time, I’ve really tried to move it along in my administration,” said Mayor Robert Mielke. “There’s going to be initial concerns, I’m sure, but like everything else, it’s going to work out. It’s something that’s good for the city and it’s about time.”
The first two hours of downtown parking will still be free, but customers will have to pay for everything after that at the rate of $1 per hour. Those using downtown lots or ramps will either have to pay at one of the ten pay stations that will be installed this spring or through the Passport mobile app.
The move also signals the grace period for those violating the downtown parking regulations is almost up. “I would imagine within a couple months of us implementing it, that’s when things will start to happen.”
Mielke previously said that other peer cities such as La Crosse, Green Bay, Stevens Point, Appleton, and Eau Claire also utilize the Passport app, meaning residents can download it once and use it while traveling to other cities.
If residents use the mobile application to purchase parking, they will also have the option to extend their time without returning to the ramp through a notification on their device.
The license plate recognition software will be used by Wausau Parking Control to identify vehicles that are violating the rules, such as those who haven’t paid for their parking or have let their time expire.
Mielke said the parking software would only be used to police the parking regulations, and not for other departments.
DOG PARK GETS FINAL APPROVAL
After years of talking, planning, and debating city leaders have given the final approval for what will become the city’s first off-leash dog park near the downtown post office on 4th Street.
The resolution not only designated the site for the dog park, but it also gave the special Dog Park Sub-Committee the authority to begin fundraising. Mielke said it will likely take $148,000 to get the park running, with the city than paying $1,000 annually to maintain the facility.
He also emphasized that the 4th street location is the first of what could be several planned dog parks in the near future. Committee members studied other locations including Brockmeyer park, a site on Bovine Lane, and a ten-acre parcel of land near Menards.
“I’m excited about it because as I’ve said numerous times I love dogs, and really it’s something that so many residents have said they wanted,” added Mielke.
