Brooklyn Park City Council Debates Parking Rules

Currently, no parking is allowed on Brooklyn Park city streets from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. from Oct. 15 – April 15. Getting people to follow those rules can be a problem, especially around apartments, where there is a lack of parking space.

Since October, police have issued more than 2,500 citations for various parking violations.

On Monday night, the city council explored three options: keep the ban as is, shorten the parking restrictions by a month, or enforce the ban year round.

A community survey shows the majority of residents favor shortening the ban, but not all the council members were on board with that idea.

“I would be in favor of an all-year-round ban,” said Brooklyn Park City Council member Bob Mata. “But I just know that we need to get somehow, a stricter enforcement. And if the county’s not going to prosecute, then we need to do it ourselves.”

“Quite honestly, there’s no winning in this argument,” said Brooklyn Park City Council member Lisa Jacobson. “Because some people want it lessened. Some want it year round. What’s going to make the best Brooklyn Park in the end, ultimately, has to be enforced.”

The council made no decision Monday night. The city manager wants to explore the issue further, especially to see how the city can speed up the towing process.

Brooklyn Park