Parking tickets rates to increase

WAUPACA – A seven to zero vote at the city council meeting on Nov. 4 will mean an increase for parking tickets for overtime and overnight parking violations.
The second reading and subsequent vote means fines will increase by $5 for those exceeding time limits on downtown parking spots, as well as those violating overnight parking rules.
Currently the rules for overnight parking as stated on the City of Waupaca website are as follows: “The Waupaca Police Department would like to remind motorists that parking is prohibited between the hours of 2 a.m. – 6 a.m. in the City of Waupaca. No person shall park or leave standing any vehicle or personal property for longer than 30 minutes between the hours of 2 a.m. – 6 a.m. upon any street or public parking lot which the city has an interest.”
Overnight parking is allowed in some city parking lots as long as the motorist has a permit through the city at cost of $120 per year.
The lots that allow the overnight parking can be found on the cities website at www.cityofwaupaca.org/police/parkingenforcement/.

Parking violation fines have not seen an increase since 2016, when the fine went from $3 to $5.
The majority of the parking violations written by the police are for overtime parking, which will now see $10 fines, said Pete Kraeger, the City of Waupaca Police Chief.
Kraeger said neighboring communities all have larger fines for parking violations than Waupaca, with Menasha at $10 and Weyauwega as high as $35.
With the approval of the increase for parking violation fines, Kraeger said the city will be closer to those comparable averages.