By Anne Holzman

Prompted by its State Fair Task Force, the city of Falcon Heights appears ready to make a deal with a national parking-fee company to charge for on-street parking near the Fairgrounds during the Fair.

At its Feb. 5 workshop, the City Council reviewed a proposal from ParkMobile to charge around $25 a day to park on Falcon Heights streets during the Fair. Which streets, and what arrangement might be made for residents, remained up in the air.

The task force surveyed parking during 2024 and estimated the city offered 800 to 1000 free parking spots to visitors. A survey of Falcon Heights residents identified parking as their top quality-of-life issue during the Fair.

City Administrator Jack Linehan summed up the current situation as “price is free, demand is high, compliance is poor.” He said reve­nue from the fees could be used to hire temporary workers who would locate illegally parked vehicles, freeing up police to focus on public safety.

But Linehan added that the revenue would be far more than is needed for enforcement and could be directed to other uses such as street maintenance. He said $100,000 in revenue during the two weeks of the Fair would be a low estimate.

Linehan said ParkMobile has begun to dominate its industry and is now widely used, and therefore widely recognized by the public. Several nearby cities use it, including Minneapolis. Linehan said the company helped municipalities in the path of last spring’s eclipse manage parking when crowds descended on them and has contracted with cities hosting major sports events.

ParkMobile provides temporary signage in a variety of formats, customizes their phone app, and can collect the fees. They receive a small percentage of the fee, about $1.20 from a $20 payment. Drivers can also pay by phone or on the website, depending how the city sets up their system.

At the Feb. 5 workshop, council members discussed one obvious concern: People will drive a little farther out to where the parking is still free. Linehan acknowledged it’s impossible to predict how far that would extend but noted that since the signage is temporary and would be provided by ParkMobile, there is no cost to try different zones and prices.

Despite some reservations, the council appeared ready to adopt such a proposal. The State Fair Task Force was scheduled to meet in mid-February and refine its proposal. Linehan said the council would need to revise several city laws and recommended a public hearing. 

Anne Holzman is a Bugle freelance writer who covers Falcon Heights government news.

Photo cutline: Depicted above is the 2024 Minnesota State Fair logo. This summer, the city of Falcon Heights is considering establishing some paid parking on its city streets during the 2025 State Fair time.