PLATTEVILLE — A Platteville Common Council meeting without a discussion of parking issues is like Halloween without costumes.
The Oct. 9 council meeting involved a consequence of violating parking regulations — parking tickets — but, according to council members, the results of unintended consequences.
The council voted unanimously to forgive tickets issued on three dates during events at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium and at Memorial Park.
The council also voted to allow police to issue a special-events exemption from enforcing parking regulations around the stadium and Williams Fieldhouse during athletic and other events.
Police issued a large number of tickets during a UW–Platteville football game Sept. 20, a Platteville High School football game Sept. 21, and the Dick McKichan Platteville Invitational cross country invitational Sept. 29.
“I was frankly embarrassed that we issued tickets to people from out of town and out of state,” said District 2 Ald. Barb Daus.
“The intent of parking wasn’t to limit parking around the stadium for events,” said Common Council President Mike Dalecki. “It’s not that hard for us to create a mechanism where people can park five hours for a football game around the stadium or something.
“Tickets were issued within the letter of the law … but it wasn’t our intent for that to happen.”
One person who got a ticket, Sue Wehnke, 1879 Stumptown Road, showed the council a drawing of signs near where she parked, which say “Permit Parking or 2-Hour Parking.”
“There is sign confusion coming in on Southwest Road,” said Wehnke, pointing to “that word ‘or’” in the sign. “Something’s wrong with our signage. Where can we park for athletic events at the university?”
The council earlier this year extended parking on Markee Avenue and Southwest Road to four-hour parking, but, said at-large Ald. Dick Bonin, “There’s no way for that area to hold enough” cars for a football game.
Police Lt. Jeff Haas said enforcement of parking regulations had been suspended around the stadium since the end of September.
