Following an April 23 community meeting where the focus was squarely on downtown parking in the Cowboy Capital, the next step might be bringing in an expert.

Oakdale City Manager Bryan Whitemyer estimated 30 people attended the recent meeting, which was hosted as a way for people to voice concerns and offer suggestions.

“I thought it was a productive meeting,” Whitemyer said. “It highlighted the different challenges of businesses and the needs they all have.”

Concerns voiced by some downtown business owners centered on the number of two-hour parking slots. There are a number of free parking lots but many spaces in front of businesses in the main corridor are under the two-hour limit.

Whitemyer said they heard from some salon owners, since many of their clients come in for treatments that can go past that two-hour mark.

“Others need spaces to, as they said, ‘curb turn’,” Whitemyer said, explaining those are high volume businesses that do best when people come in, get what they need and leave, opening up the space for someone else.

It was not an official city meeting but, rather, a community listening session.

“We will have future community meetings,” Whitemyer said.

He also plans to recommend some action to the Oakdale City Council at its Monday night, May 6 meeting.

“I will bring a proposal to hire a parking consultant,” he said, noting that cities of similar size have been able to use consultants to help develop a parking plan that meets a variety of needs.

Whitemyer said the consultants could do surveys and observation and work up a plan that could include a mix of two-hour, four-hour and untimed spots in areas, perhaps even some paid parking.

He also said the council will be looking not just at a short-term fix but a long-term solution that will work in the years to come.

“We value all our downtown businesses and want to find a solution that benefits them all,” Whitemyer said.