City pilot would let verified downtown employees park in garages for $10 monthly; DDA raises concerns

City staff described a six‑month employee‑parking pilot at the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority meeting Sept. 8 that would allow verified downtown employees to purchase a vehicle‑tied permit for $10 per month starting Oct. 1.
Jeff Warren, assistant city manager, told the DDA the permit would be tied to license plates and require monthly re‑verification because employee status changes frequently. “This is a 6‑month program starting Oct. 1 till April,” Warren said, describing it as a pilot that the city will review and refine.
Merchants and DDA board members raised concerns at the meeting about impacts on customer access and beach parking. Several speakers asked that the program be limited to municipal garages and exclude A1A and beach parking, arguing that inexpensive monthly permits could draw employees into prime beach spaces.
Missy Barletto, who presented the program to merchants earlier, confirmed to the board that the pilot’s geographic footprint was intended to be the central business district; board members asked staff to provide a clear map of the eligible area. Board members also urged the city to prioritize use of under‑utilized upper garage levels and existing county garage capacity when implementing the pilot.
The city and DDA agreed to continue communication while the pilot is rolled out. City staff said they will work with the DDA to collect permit uptake and usage data and solicited merchant feedback to assess whether the pilot should be expanded, restricted or ended at its April 2026 review.