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Lincoln City Council
Becke and Clemons share information from downtown business meeting
regarding parking issues
[November 12, 2026]
The downtown parking problems
were not on the agenda of the Lincoln City Council this week, but
the topic did come up at the end of the night when Aldermen Dennis
Clemons and Tim Becke spoke about a meeting they attended on Tuesday
morning with the downtown business group.
Clemons opened the conversation reporting that he and Becke had
attended the meeting. He said it had been a good meeting with good
input, but that it had been made clear that the downtown businesses
do not want parking meters in front of their businesses. Clemons
said he and Becke had expressed to the group that there was not
going to be a quick and easy solution, that it was going to take
time to work it all out.
Becke offered praise for Kathy Williams of Small Town Creations as
the leader of the meeting, and to the business owners overall for
their interest and investment in the downtown area. He said that
while the ultimate decision lies with the city council, he and
Clemons had assured the group that there would be additional
meetings and opportunities for their input. Becke said the group had
given he and Clemons an hour of their time, and it had been not just
the two aldermen talking, but all the members of the group
participating and offering ideas.
Alderman Kevin Bateman spoke up
saying that he would like to see the budget for the coming year
include one full time or two part-time code enforcement officers for
the city of Lincoln. He felt like it was important to have such
people on the staff not just for downtown parking but for other
ordinance violations in the city as well. There was a round of
discussion about the definition of a code enforcement officer, and
it was noted by Mayor Tracy Welch that Wes Woodhall as the building
and zoning officer for the city is a code enforcement officer.
The conversation evolved as it came down to what Bateman wanted to
see was someone who was responsible for keeping the parking in
check, as well as going out on calls in the residential areas.
Lincoln Police Chief Joe Meister spoke up saying that in this fiscal
year budget there is money within the police department for a code
enforcement officer that would be a part of the police department.
The role of that person had been outlined just as Bateman had
suggested.
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Meister said that
the city had authorized this, and that he had been very
particular in choosing the right person for the job. He had
wanted someone, preferably a retired police officer who knew the
city and also knew how to deal with the variety of situations
that would come up in the job.
He said what had been important to him was that he did not hire
“a rhinestone cowboy,” who would be “out there abusing
authority.” Meister said he had hired a good candidate, a
retired police officer for the city of Lincoln.
However, that had not worked out for
the officer, who ended up resigning. Meister said that the officer
had retired and he envisioned retirement as a time to relax and
enjoy life. However, going out on calls and being cussed at and spit
upon over leaves swept into the street, or telling someone they had
to appear in court was not the officer’s idea of relaxing and
enjoying life. Meister said he thought having a code enforcement
officer was a very good idea, but finding the right person for the
job was not as simple as one would think.
Welch commented that this was a topic for further discussion at a
later date, but he would say, and with all due respect to the police
chief and his opinions, Welch feels that it is time for the city to
look at a more automated solution that does not require manpower
when it comes to the downtown parking problems.
Welch said there are ideas that need to be reviewed and other
suggestions on how to address the problem. He added that he wanted
to meet with Becke and Clemons for more detailed discussion about
the meeting with the downtown businesses.
The mayor and aldermen anticipate digging deeper into the topic,
with a goal of bringing thoughts and recommendations to a future
committee of the whole meeting.
[Nila Smith]
Related article:
11/12/2026
Lincoln aldermen Tim Becke
and Dennis Clemons speak to downtown business owners about parking
and asks for their input
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