When I first saw the parking crisis unfolding in Lakefront, I did not sit back and wait. I knew this was not just a minor inconvenience, this was a serious issue affecting real people, families, students, young professionals, and working-class neighbors who deserve better. I organized hundreds of residents and launched a grassroots movement called Fix Vineyard Parking because the people most impacted needed a seat at the table. What I quickly learned is that this was not just about Lakefront, this was about Waters Edge, Edgewater, and neighborhoods all across Vineyard. This is a citywide challenge, and it is exposing a systemic breakdown in how Vineyard is managing parking. I believe this issue has not been given the urgency and focus it requires, and as someone directly affected, I feel a responsibility to step up and help bring forward the solutions our community deserves.

Homeowners are waking up to streets overcrowded with cars from other neighborhoods because the developments those drivers live in do not have enough parking. Students, renters, and families are struggling to find a place to park near their homes. I have heard story after story of people circling their neighborhoods for forty-five minutes or more after a long day of work or school just to find a spot, sometimes blocks away from their front door. This is not just frustrating, it is exhausting, and it is unfair. In Lakefront, the problem has been made worse by a confusing city pass requirement that many residents did not even know about, which led to over two hundred cars being booted in what became one of the most heartbreaking moments for our community. These were not people try to break rules, these were people who live right there, trying to park by their homes, and being caught off guard by a bad city policy that was not clearly communicated. Parking has become a growing stain on Vineyard’s reputation, and that is something I believe we can and must correct together.

I want to be clear, any suggestion of parking meters or pay-to-park systems is not the right direction for Vineyard. I do not support those ideas because they add burdens to people who are already stretched thin, and they do not reflect the values of our community. I will always stand up for common-sense policies that support the people who live here because I believe good leadership is about solving problems directly and honestly. When a policy is not working, we need to admit it, work together, and fix it. That is what I have done with my grassroots group, and that is the approach I will continue to bring as a councilmember.

That means removing the confusing city pass requirement in Lakefront immediately and getting the city out of the parking business. We need to ensure all developments are required to have ample or surplus parking that meets the real needs of the community. We need to end the predatory booting and towing practices that are punishing good people. We must protect our students, our renters, our families, and make sure parking is no longer a daily stress that pushes people out of their own neighborhoods.

At the same time, we need to make sure HOAs are fully included and respected in these conversations. HOAs are elected by their neighborhoods, they are the voice of the community, and they bring important knowledge about what is happening on the ground. The city should be working hand in hand with HOA leaders to create fair, transparent, and enforceable parking solutions that reflect the realities of each neighborhood. This should not be a conflict, it should be a partnership. It should be about bringing everyone to the table and listening to the people who live here so we can create solutions that work for all Vineyard residents.

That is the leadership I have shown with my Fix Vineyard Parking group, which now includes hundreds and hundreds of residents. That is the same leadership I will bring to the City Council. We will solve this challenge, not just for today, but for the future of Vineyard, so families, renters, and homeowners never have to face this kind of hardship again.

I’m running to end the parking crisis permanently, it’s time.