Paso Robles City Council certifies election results and swears in new members

Council delays final decision on downtown employee parking program

PASO ROBLES — To start its last meeting of the year on Tuesday, Dec. 17, the Paso Robles City Council declared and certified the results of the Nov. 5 General Election. As a result, council welcomed in new and re-elected councilmembers who were sworn in with the Oath of Office prior to continuing with the meeting.

Treasurer Ryan Cornell, District 1 Councilmember Kris Beal, District 3 Councilmember Steve Gregory, and District 4 Councilmember Fred Strong were all sworn into office Tuesday night. While Strong and Gregory were both re-elected, Beal is serving for the first time after winning her seat against current Councilmember Sharon Roden. A motion passed unanimously to swear in all four members. Council then said farewell to Roden. 

“I want to appreciate all the service you gave to us as a council and friendship but also to the public. It’s important that people understand that this is not the easiest job in the world and it takes a lot to do it well and Sharon did,” said Mayor John Hamon of Sharon’s time on council.

Roden was appointed to the District 1 seat in October 2023 after John Hamon was appointed mayor in September of last year. 

“This past year has been one of the most challenging and fulfilling year of my life,” said Roden. “I can’t say I’m not disappointed. To do so would be disingenuous but to the degree you might expect. The reason is simple: I value relationships, character, and knowledge above all else.”

Roden thanked friends from around the country who reached out and for the new, old, and rekindled friendships she gained throughout the last year. 

“Most especially, I thank my wife Dana, who is still more loyal, and prettier than my best hunting dog. I could not have done any of this without her strength and love,” said Roden. “I want to thank Kris Beal for running a thoughtful and respectful campaign. I look forward to working with her and lending whatever support she may ask. I have no doubt she will represent our city well.”

Later in the meeting, the council returned to the conversation of what to do with the Employee Parking Program. 

In 2018, the city created the Downtown Employee Permit Parking Pilot Program to provide a low-cost parking option for downtown business owners and employees.

The 98 parking spaces reside in the employee permit parking lots located at Spring Street and 12th Street; 12th Street, adjacent to Marv’s Pizza; Alley between Pine Street and Railroad Street; 13th Street and 12th Street; and 12th Street and Railroad Street. Initially, the program was created to prevent downtown business employees from parking on the street and leave those for customers. This was the city’s first attempt at managing parking downtown, and soon, the downtown paid parking program was installed. 

See our story on the Tuesday, Dec. 3 City Council meeting where the council first reopened the employee parking discussion here: pasoroblespress.com/news/government/city-of-paso-robles/paso-robles-city-council-reviews-future-of-downtown-employee-parking-program/

While staff again stood with their original recommendation to dissolve the employee parking program, others disagreed.

Jeff Weisinger, owner of Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ and president of the Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association, shared his thoughts, “We are in support of keeping the lots designated for employee parking … this has been a contentious issue that has been kind of dragging down the image of Paso Robles from the community to visitors alike.”

Weisinger adds that the local businesses he speaks for don’t have an issue with enforcement of the employee parking lots and that the honor system has been working. He also added that he found documents that show the lots were onepurchased by the downtown businesses. The ownership of the lots was also brought up by Councilman Chris Bausch at the Dec. 3 meeting.

More business owners came forward asking the city to not remove the employee lots. Other residents, said they disagreed, and that the employee lots are not being utilized as intended.

Ultimately, the second reading of the ordinance to officially eliminate the downtown Employee Parking Permit Program was continued to June 17, 2025. City staff was directed by the council to meet with downtown parking businesses to determine how best to utilize the existing lots and return to the City Council with feedback and recommendations. In the meantime, the Employee Parking Only signs will remain in the four designated lots and employees can continue to use the lots at no charge. 

Paso Robles City Council will next meet on Jan. 15, 2025, at 6 p.m.