The Janesville City Council on Tuesday extended its overnight parking ordinance to allow more time for the council to come to a permanent solution.
People will be allowed to park overnight and sleep in their cars in the municipal parking lot at 105 N. Jackson St. until Sept. 30.
Overnight parking would have sunset Tuesday if the council had not taken action.
The council considered extending the ordinance to June 30 but changed the date to Sept. 30 to allow time for discussions with interest groups.
Members of the city council have been split on what the best permanent solution for overnight parking would be.
City council member Paul Benson on Tuesday said he supported the idea of moving overnight parking back to North Traxler Park, which housed overnight parking in its initial months last fall.
The council moved overnight to Jackson Street after North Traxler Park neighbors came to the council in droves to complain about people overstaying their welcome in the lot and increased crime, a claim that was not substantiated by Janesville police.
Members of the city’s FOCUS group, which works to identify gaps in services for people experiencing homelessness, have said North Traxler Park is its preferred location for overnight parking, city council member Tom Wolfe said Tuesday.
FOCUS members in a recent meeting voted unanimously to support moving overnight parking back to North Traxler Park and voted unanimously against keeping it at Jackson Street, Wolfe said.
Wolfe said he wants the council to meet with FOCUS and other community members to learn why there is a disconnect between FOCUS and the council.
Council President Rich Gruber said he intends to set up a study session as soon as possible and indicated that might be difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic and statewide safer-at-home order.
Each council member echoed the idea the council cannot continue to put temporary time limits on overnight parking and a permanent solution needs to be determined sooner rather than later.
The Jackson Street lot has been used sparingly since it was designated for overnight parking in late fall 2019. City officials have guessed cold weather, proximity to police headquarters and lack of running water as reasons people have not used it as much as the North Traxler Park lot was used.
Council member Paul Williams said he would not support moving the lot back to North Traxler Park and suggested the city ask the county to use the former Pick ‘n Save parking lot for overnight parking after the former grocery store is renovated into the county’s human services building.
Four people who live and work near North Traxler Park wrote to the city council to say they do not want overnight parking moved back there.
The council accepted public comment in writing prior to the meeting, which was held via video chat and broadcasted on JATV and online.
