Protection & Welfare Committee Agenda Packet - 6:25 PM

City of Oconomowoc Protection & Welfare Committee Aldermen: Kowieski, Chairman / Spiegelberg, Secy / Jungwirth Tuesday, October 20, 2026 - 6:25 PM City Hall - Conference Room 3 174 E. Wisconsin Ave. Oconomowoc, WI 53066 (Or immediately following Finance Committee) Notice: If a person with a disability requires that the meeting be accessible or that materials at the meeting be in accessible format, call the City Clerk at least 48 hours prior to the meeting to request adequate accommodations. Tel: (262) 569-2186. 1. Call to order and confirmation of appropriate meeting notification 2. Approval of Meeting Minutes a. Minutes of October 6, 2026 3. Committee Business a. Discuss Requested Winter Street Parking Policy Changes & Operational Impact Analysis 4. Adjourn Gina Kozlik, City Clerk City of Oconomowoc Notice is hereby given that a majority of the Common Council will be present at the above scheduled meeting to gather information about a subject over which they have decision-making responsibility. This constitutes a meeting of the Common Council pursuant to State ex rel. Badke v. Greendale Village Board, 173Wis. 2d 553, 494 N.W. 2d 408 (1993) and must be noticed as such, although the Common Council will not take any formal action at this meeting. 1 1 Protection & Welfare Committee - October 06, 2026 City of Oconomowoc Protection & Welfare Committee Meeting Minutes October 06, 2026 - 6:25 PM Aldermen Present: Lou Kowieski, Karen Spiegelberg, Erik Jungwirth Also Present: Kevin Ellis, Zachary Frankowski, Jennifer Aultman Kloth, Matt Rosek, Mark Frye, Gina Kozlik, Kevin Kaari, Jason Gallo, James Pfister, Steve Hatton Chairman Kowieski called the Protection & Welfare Committee Meeting to order and appropriate meeting notice was confirmed at 6:25 PM. Committee Business a. Consider/act on Approval of Taxicab Driver Licenses for Stephen Maccani (Silver Streak) City Clerk Kozlik explained that the completed application was in order and reviewed by the Police Department with no issues. Motion to approve Taxicab Driver License for Stephen Maccani (Silver Streak) made by Spiegelberg and seconded by Jungwirth. Motion carried 3-0-0. b. Consider/recommend Ordinance 26-O1138 to Repeal and Recreate Section 9.26 3(a) Regulation of Private Alarm Systems Police Chief Pfister explained the revision to the Ordinance is more housekeeping, bringing it up to date with number of occurrences with warnings and penalties along with adding court costs. Motion to recommend Ordinance 26-O1138 to Repeal and Recreate Section 9.26 3(a) Regulation of Private Alarm Systems made by Jungwirth and seconded by Spiegelberg. Motion carried 3-0-0. Chairman Kowiewski requested that future Protection & Welfare Committee meeting minutes be agendized for approval. Adjourn Motion to adjourn made by Jungwirth and seconded by Spiegelberg. Motion carried 3-0-0. The meeting adjourned at 6:28 PM. Minutes taken by Gina Kozlik, City Clerk Alderman Spiegelberg, Secretary 2 MEMORANDUM PUBLIC WORKS Date: October 20, 2026 To: Mayor and Protection and Welfare Committee From: Mark Frye, City Administrator James Pfister, Chief of Police Jason Herzog, Director of Public Works Re: Discussion on Requested Winter Street Parking Policy Changes & Operational Impact Analysis RELATES TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN N/A BACKGROUND Alderman Kowieski submitted for consideration a Proposed Street Parking Ordinance Amendment. City staff have thoroughly reviewed the requested changes to the winter street parking ordinance. These changes seek to replace our current seasonal parking restriction with a weather emergency system. Our current seasonal winter parking policy (December 1 through March 1, 2AM to 5AM) has consistently proven effective. The department receives very few public complaints under the existing framework. We currently allow residents to request on street parking during the restricted winter parking three times per winter season per vehicle to accommodate family visits. These are approved on an individual basis if the forecast is free of snow events that would require plowing. For holidays we review the forecast, and if it is clear of snow, provide a City wide notification that on street parking is allowed for defined dates. ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS The predictable schedule ensures our snow removal crews have unobstructed roadways to reliably plow and salt, opening all streets efficiently following any snow event. Additionally, our Police Department manages public notifications regarding winter parking restrictions proactively during November when workloads allow, rather than relying on reactive enforcement during active weather events. An added public safety benefit of the current winter parking setup is that in a few instances, night officers have been made aware of or located abandoned vehicles or vehicles tied to criminal activity. Should the Common Council choose to pursue this policy change, staff has outlined several significant operational challenges that may result in a reduced quality of public works operations and resident satisfaction. Details of this review are attached. FINANCIAL IMPACT We anticipate the change would result in higher plowing times, and/or more overtime if there is a significant amount of non-complaint parked vehicles left on the streets. 3 The Police Department currently budgets $48,000 annually for parking fees. Of that total, approximately $17,000 to $18,000 per year on average is generated directly from citations issued during the winter parking season. Additionally, the department budgets $4,400 annually for parking permits, with roughly $3,700 of that revenue tied directly to the winter parking season. RECOMMENDATION Following an evaluation of operational, safety, and administrative impacts, it is City staff’s professional recommendation to keep the current policy unchanged. SUGGESTED MOTION N/A Z:\City Administrator\Common Council\Winter Parking Rules Proposed Revision 09102026\Protection & Welfare Committee 10202026\Background Memo for Winter Parking Discussion 10202026.docx 4 City of Oconomowoc • Proposed Street Parking Ordinance Redline • August 2026 CITY OF OCONOMOWOC, WISCONSIN Proposed Street Parking Ordinance Amendment FORMAL REDLINE • LEGISLATIVE SUMMARY • IMPLEMENTATION NOTES Prepared for policy discussion and City Attorney review Drafting note: The City’s current public-facing materials identify § 7.03(2) as the winter street parking provision and describe the operative restriction as December 1 to March 1, 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. The City’s snow-removal page identifies § 7.06 as “Parking During Snowstorm Emergencies.” This redline uses those published descriptions as the current-policy baseline. Exact codified language and internal cross-references should be verified against the official Code before introduction. 1. Legislative Summary Policy objective. Replace the City-wide calendar-based winter overnight parking ban with year-round lawful street parking, subject to a temporary City-wide prohibition when a weather parking emergency is declared.  Allow legally parked vehicles to remain on public streets year-round unless another parking restriction applies.  Eliminate the blanket December-to-March 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. restriction as the general rule.  Authorize a Weather Parking Emergency when snow, ice, freezing rain, or related conditions require unobstructed streets.  Require removal of vehicles from all public streets for a 24-hour emergency period.  Require public notice through City-authorized text alerts, the official City website, and official City social media channels.  Allow ticketing and towing of vehicles that remain on public streets during the declared emergency.  Permit additional 24-hour extensions when conditions or street-clearing operations require more time. 2. Current Date-Focused Parking Limitation Current published rule associated with City Ord. § 7.03(2): winter street parking is in effect from December 1 to March 1, and vehicles may not be parked on City streets from 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Published inconsistency to resolve: the City Police FAQ describes legally parked vehicles as permitted overnight from March 1 through November 29 and identifies the winter restriction as December 1 through February 28. The amendment should use one codified rule and conform all web/FAQ materials to it. Related existing provision: the City’s snow-removal page identifies § 7.06 as “Parking During Snowstorm Emergencies,” and current parking guidance states temporary overnight parking permission will not be granted during a snow emergency or while snow removal is in progress. 3. Formal Redline Redline key: deleted/current policy language | proposed replacement/addition 5 City of Oconomowoc • Proposed Street Parking Ordinance Redline • August 2026 § 7.03(2) — Overnight / Winter Street Parking CURRENT POLICY TO BE REMOVED: Winter street parking is in effect from December 1 to March 1. No vehicles may be parked on any City street from 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. PROPOSED REPLACEMENT: (a) General Rule. Except where parking is otherwise prohibited or restricted by this Code, Wisconsin law, official traffic-control devices, posted restrictions, temporary orders, construction or maintenance restrictions, or other lawful authority, a legally parked vehicle may remain parked upon a public street within the City at any hour and on any day of the year. (b) No General Seasonal Ban. There shall be no City-wide prohibition against overnight street parking based solely upon a calendar date, season, or time of year. (c) Weather Emergency Exception. Parking upon public streets shall be prohibited during a Weather Parking Emergency declared pursuant to § 7.06. (d) Other Restrictions Preserved. Nothing in this subsection supersedes parking restrictions established for specific streets, loading zones, fire lanes, accessible parking spaces, municipal lots, construction zones, special events, street maintenance, or other restrictions otherwise authorized by law. § 7.06 — Parking During Weather Emergencies TITLE REDLINE: Parking During SnowstormWeather Emergencies (1) Authority to Declare Emergency. The City Administrator, Mayor, Chief of Police, Director of Public Works, or an authorized designee may declare a Weather Parking Emergency when existing or forecast conditions reasonably require public streets to be cleared of parked vehicles for snow plowing, snow removal, ice treatment, freezing rain response, snow hauling, street widening, emergency-vehicle access, public works operations, or protection of public safety. (2) Twenty-Four-Hour City-Wide Parking Prohibition. Upon the effective time stated in the declaration, no person shall park, stop, leave standing, or permit a vehicle to remain upon any public street within the City for a period of twenty-four (24) hours. The declaration shall state the beginning and scheduled expiration time. Unless extended, the prohibition expires automatically twenty-four (24) hours after the stated effective time. (3) Extension. When weather conditions or snow and ice removal operations require additional time, an authorized City official may extend the emergency for one or more additional periods of up to twenty-four (24) hours each. Each extension shall be publicly noticed in the same manner as the original declaration. (4) Required Public Notification. The City shall make reasonable efforts to provide advance notice of a Weather Parking Emergency. Notice shall be distributed through all reasonably available City-controlled channels, including: (a) the City-authorized text/SMS or emergency electronic notification system; (b) a prominent update on the official City website; and (c) the City’s official social media channels. The City may also use email, electronic message boards, press releases, local media, or other communication methods. (5) Required Content of Notice. The public notice should identify the effective date and time, scheduled expiration time, the requirement that all vehicles be removed from public streets, the possibility of citation and towing, and where residents can obtain updated information. (6) Advance Notice Standard. When reasonably practicable, notice should be issued at least six (6) hours before enforcement begins. When rapidly developing weather conditions make that period impracticable, the emergency may take effect sooner when reasonably necessary for public safety or street-clearing operations. 6 City of Oconomowoc • Proposed Street Parking Ordinance Redline • August 2026 (7) Responsibility of Vehicle Owner or Operator. Following the effective time of the declaration, each vehicle owner or operator is responsible for removing the vehicle from the public street. Individual receipt of a text message, email, social-media post, or other personal notification is not a prerequisite to enforcement when the City has issued public notice under this section. (8) Enforcement — Citation. The Police Department or other authorized enforcement personnel may issue a parking citation to a vehicle found parked or standing on a public street during an active Weather Parking Emergency. The forfeiture or fee shall be established by the City’s current fee or forfeiture schedule. (9) Enforcement — Towing. A vehicle remaining upon a public street during an active Weather Parking Emergency may be removed and towed when it interferes with, or reasonably may interfere with, snow plowing, snow removal, salting, ice-control operations, emergency access, public works operations, or safe and efficient clearing of the roadway. A citation need not be issued before towing when immediate removal is reasonably necessary. (10) Costs. Lawful towing, storage, administrative, and related charges associated with removal of a vehicle shall be the responsibility of the vehicle owner in addition to any parking citation or forfeiture imposed. (11) Exceptions. The prohibition shall not apply to authorized emergency vehicles, City or utility vehicles engaged in official operations, authorized snow-removal equipment, or a disabled vehicle for which the operator has promptly notified the Police Department and removal is not reasonably possible. The Chief of Police or designee may authorize a limited exception for extraordinary circumstances, provided the vehicle does not obstruct emergency or street-clearing operations. 4. Conforming Amendment PROPOSED: Any provision of Chapter 7 or related City parking regulation imposing a City-wide prohibition on overnight street parking solely because a date falls within a designated winter parking season shall be repealed or amended to conform with §§ 7.03(2) and 7.06 as amended. The intent is that actual or forecast weather conditions and operational necessity, rather than predetermined calendar dates, trigger City-wide winter street parking restrictions. 5. City Attorney Review Items  Confirm the exact current codified text of §§ 7.03(2) and 7.06 and reconcile subsection numbering and all cross-references.  Confirm which City officials should possess declaration and extension authority and whether delegation must be express.  Confirm that the proposed six-hour notice standard should be mandatory, directory, or expressly subject to an emergency exception.  Confirm towing authority, process, vehicle-release procedures, due-process requirements, and applicable Wisconsin statutory cross-references.  Confirm the forfeiture amount or fee-schedule cross-reference for a Weather Parking Emergency violation.  Review whether “all public streets” should include alleys or other public rights-of-way, and define the geographic scope if needed.  Confirm whether municipal parking lots are governed separately and should remain outside the City-wide street prohibition.  Confirm publication/effective-date requirements and whether any existing snow-emergency declaration procedure should be retained or incorporated. 7 City of Oconomowoc • Proposed Street Parking Ordinance Redline • August 2026 6. Administrative Implementation Checklist  Update the City parking-regulations webpage to remove the December 1–March 1 blanket restriction.  Update Police Department FAQ language so dates no longer conflict with the ordinance.  Update the Snow Removal page to explain the new Weather Parking Emergency trigger and 24-hour duration.  Create a reusable City text/SMS alert template with start time, end time, towing warning, and link to status updates.  Create matching website and social-media emergency notice templates.  Establish an internal declaration workflow identifying who authorizes, publishes, extends, and terminates the emergency.  Coordinate Police and Public Works enforcement/towing procedures before the first winter season under the amended ordinance.  Publicize the change before the effective date through tax inserts, utility bills, newsletters, social media, and City website notices. 7. Source Notes 1. City of Oconomowoc, Parking Regulations & Payment Options. Current City webpage states winter street parking is in effect from December 1 to March 1, with no parking on City streets from 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., and identifies City Ord. § 7.03(2). It also states temporary overnight parking requests are not granted during a snow emergency or while snow removal is in progress. 2. City of Oconomowoc, Snow Removal. Identifies § 7.06 as “Parking During Snowstorm Emergencies” and repeats the December 1 to March 1 / 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. winter parking rule. 3. City of Oconomowoc Police FAQ. States legally parked cars may park overnight from March 1 through November 29 and describes the winter parking ordinance as effective December 1 through February 28, creating a published date inconsistency that should be reconciled. 4. City of Oconomowoc 2025 Tax Insert. Repeats the December 1 to March 1 / 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. restriction and cites City Ord. § 7.03(2). LEGAL REVIEW NOTE: This is a policy-drafting redline, not legal advice. Final ordinance language should be conformed to the official Code of Ordinances and reviewed by the City Attorney before introduction, publication, or enforcement. 8 Staff Review Comments and Recommendation Regarding Requested Winter Street Parking Policy Changes Alderman Kowieski submitted for consideration a Proposed Street Parking Ordinance Amendment. City staff have thoroughly reviewed the requested changes to the City’s winter street parking ordinance. These changes seek to replace our current seasonal parking restriction with a weather emergency system. Following an evaluation of operational, safety, and administrative impacts, it is City staff’s professional recommendation to keep the current policy unchanged. Our current seasonal winter parking policy (December 1 through March 1, 2AM to 5AM) has consistently proven effective. The department receives very few public complaints under the existing framework. The predictable schedule ensures our snow removal crews have unobstructed roadways to reliably plow and salt, opening all streets efficiently following any snow event. Additionally, our Police Department manages public notifications regarding winter parking restrictions proactively during November when workloads allow, rather than relying on reactive enforcement during active weather events. An added public safety benefit of the current winter parking setup is that in a few instances, night officers have been made aware of or located abandoned vehicles or vehicles tied to criminal activity. We currently allow residents to request street parking during the restricted winter parking three times per winter season to accommodate family visits. These are approved on an individual basis if the forecast is free of snow events that would require plowing. For holidays we review the forecast, and if it is clear of snow, provide a City wide notification that on street parking is allowed for defined dates. Should the Common Council choose to pursue this policy change, staff have outlined several significant operational challenges that may result in a reduced quality of public works operations and resident satisfaction:  Compounding Snow Removal Issues on Narrow Streets: On narrow residential roadways, plows cannot safely pass until parked cars are removed. If vehicles remain on the street as snow falls, and do not follow the issued snow emergency, traffic and snowpack turn into ice ruts under tires. Once cars are eventually moved, crews face hard- packed ice and snow berms that require substantially more time, heavy equipment wear, and salt treatment to clear. o To mitigate the heightened risk of non-compliant parking blocking plow access entirely, the City would conduct a comprehensive review of all narrow roadways across the community. This review would determine parking restrictions on these streets to always guarantee plow access, regardless of whether a weather emergency is declared. Any parking restrictions would require establishing and posting permanent or seasonal "No Parking" restrictions on both or one side of the street.  Enforcement Strain During Storm Events: Restricting enforcement to real-time weather events shifts the burden to the Police Department during active winter storms. Officers 9 who would otherwise be responding to traffic accidents and emergency calls would be tasked with identifying, ticketing, and arranging towing for non-compliant vehicles.  Resident Confusion with a 24-Hour Emergency Window: While a full 24-hour emergency window theoretically allows plow operations to be completed entirely free of parked vehicles, it creates significant practical confusion for residents. Once crews have already plowed and cleared a specific street, residents naturally assume they can park on the street again, even though they technically cannot until the official 24-hour declaration period formally expires.  Special Downtown District Exemptions: Adopting a general year-round rule would still require carving out separate, strict parking restrictions for the downtown commercial core to ensure public lots and business corridors can be cleared without disruption. Furthermore, the downtown district regulations would most likely need to remain unchanged to continue providing essential parking access for our local restaurants, stores, and bars.  Weather Forecast Basis and Snow Emergency Thresholds: Declaring a snow emergency relies heavily on accurate, rapidly changing weather forecasts. Surrounding communities typically claim to declare snow emergencies for plowing operations based on anticipated accumulation thresholds anywhere from 2 to 4 inches. (see Exhibit A for details on the proposed snow emergency process and notification framework).  Police Department Budget & Revenue Considerations: The Police Department currently budgets $48,000 annually for parking fees. Of that total, approximately $17,000 to $18,000 per year on average is generated directly from citations issued during the winter parking season. Additionally, the department budgets $4,400 annually for parking permits, with roughly $3,700 of that revenue tied directly to the winter parking season.  Lessons Learned from Surrounding Municipalities (City of Watertown Testimony): Staff consulted with the Public Works Manager for the City of Watertown, which eliminated its seasonal winter parking restrictions roughly 15 years ago in favor of an emergency- declaration system similar to what is currently being proposed. Their experience highlights major ongoing operational and public relation struggles: o Communication & Compliance: Watertown posts declarations on social media and their website, yet non-compliance remains a constant issue, generating high volumes of tickets and widespread public frustration from upset residents. o Police & Public Works Resource Strain : The Watertown Police Department frequently has to add extra staffing specifically to handle ticketing during snow emergencies. Meanwhile, Public Works is forced to deploy "chaser" trucks and send plows back out the following night to clean up snow that couldn't be plowed initially due to parked cars. o Towing Limitations: Towing authority only applies after a lengthy timeframe (24 to 48 hours), meaning non-compliant vehicles continue to impede primary plowing efforts throughout the main duration of the storm. 10 In closing, staff emphasize that implementing a major policy shift of this nature requires extensive lead time. Developing real-time text alert workflows, updating web and FAQ systems, coordinating joint Police and Public Works enforcement protocols, and executing a public education campaign cannot be accomplished effectively before the upcoming winter season. Staff requires additional time to thoroughly review all potential operational scenarios, establish necessary narrow-street regulations, and draft comprehensive safeguards to ensure public safety and operational standards are maintained across the City. Z:\City Administrator\Common Council\Winter Parking Rules Proposed Revision 09102026\Protection & Welfare Committee 10202026\Exhibit A - Response for winter parking restriction policy change 10202026.docx 11 EXHIBIT A Snow Emergency Declaration & Notification Process Framework 1. Declaration Authority A Snow Emergency may be officially declared by any of the following officials (or their designated representative):  Chief of Police / Designee  Director of Public Works / Designee  City Administrator / Designee 2. Declaration Timing & Duration Parameters  Advance Notice Deadline: Declaration must be issued prior to 7:00 p.m. on the date the Snow Emergency is declared. Staff believe that is critical to use a consistent message and timeframe each time.  Duration Options: o Option A: 24-Hour or 48-Hour Block Window. o Option B: Set Overnight Window (e.g., 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.). 3. Public Notification Channels  Current City Communication Tools: o Official City Website & Police Department Portal o City Social Media Channels o "Notify Me" Email/Text Alert Tool  Future System Enhancements: o Option to purchase and integrate dedicated mass-push notification platforms/apps (e.g., IPAWS, Rave Mobile Safety, etc.) to ensure instant public reach. 4. Enforcement & Compliance  Vehicles parked on public streets during designated snow emergency restricted hours are subject to ticketing and/or towing by law enforcement. 12