There are plenty of ways to park for free Downtown.  I've harped on the weekend parking before.  It's free, people!  

Now, a new, proposed ordinance would expand the list of "free" city parking days to include any day designated as a paid holiday day off for city employees.  The measure’s sponsor is Downtown Ald. Robert J. Bauman.

Current city code suspends parking time limits – allowing free street parking – for seven calendar days, including Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Labor Day and Memorial Day, and July 4. 

The ordinance (file # 111321) proposes adding a minimum of four days to the list of days exempt from parking time limits – Good Friday, the day following Thanksgiving, the last weekday before Christmas and the last weekday before New Year’s Day.

In addition, the suspension of parking time limits would be extended to additional days whenever New Year’s Day, Independence Day or Christmas Day fall on a weekend, said Bauman, who chairs the Common Council’s Public Works Committee.

Bauman said, in a news release, that city employee holidays usually mean that most non-essential city services are suspended.

"If we can suspend city services, we can lift usual weekday daytime parking restrictions and requirements," he said. "If we can make reasonable changes to our code to engender some goodwill and ease up on parking restrictions so residents and city employees can enjoy their holiday time off, I think we should pursue those changes."

The measure will be heard by the Public Safety Committee at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26 in room 301-B at City Hall, 200 E. Wells St.