WATERLOO - The city is considering two proposals to ban parking on downtown streets during the overnight hours.

Representatives of Main Street Waterloo, a downtown support organization, met with City Council members Monday to discuss barring on-street parking from 2 to 6 a.m. daily to make it easier for city street sweepers and snow plows to clean and clear streets.

City leaders also have been working on a similar proposal specific to the west side of the Cedar River, which would include a similar parking ban designed to chase off customers at downtown drinking establishments who loiter and cause problems after the bars close.

"Two totally separate issues are driving both ordinances," said Councilman Reggie Schmitt, who chairs the council's ordinance committee. "Who are we going to upset between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.?"

But the idea was not embraced by all downtown business owners, including some who fear the prospect of parking tickets or getting towed after 2 a.m. will chase away customers.

"What our customers are going to hear is: If our car's there after 2 o'clock we're going to get towed," said former City Council member Buck Clark, owner of Jameson's Public House, 310 E. Fourth St., and, like Schmitt, a candidate for Waterloo mayor. "I'm terribly concerned we're going to send a really bad message to our people that come downtown."

Board members from Main Street Waterloo discussed prohibiting parking in August. David Deeds, board member and past president, said he believed it could discourage people from visiting downtown entertainment venues.

"My concern is you're giving them two alternatives - drive drunk or have your car towed," he said.

Sindee Kleckner, executive director of Main Street Waterloo said she is glad downtown representatives and the city are discussing possible solutions to help the city clear the street of cars in order to clear it of snow this winter.

While Clark acknowledged he was critical of the city's downtown snow removal in the past, he suggested a parking ban could just be overnight Sundays for street sweeping purposes and perhaps during formal snow emergencies declared by the city. He said there was no reason to ban overnight parking 365 days a year.

Kleckner notes that downtown has 3,000 public parking spaces and not all are on the streets.

Shaylin Marti, who lives downtown and walks to work said she isn't concerned about possible parking restrictions.

"There's plenty of places to park," she said. Marti said some of her neighbors do park on the street but if and when she has her car she has options to rent parking spots in a lot or a municipal parking ramp.

"Thirty-five dollars a month is nothing if you're paying $60 a month in parking tickets," she said.

Main Street president Melissa McKean said the proposal centered around ticket enforcement, not towing. But she said the latest proposal for the downtown's west side was new and had not been discussed at Main Street board meetings.

"We need to come up with an ordinance that works for both sides," she said.

Reggie Schmitt said the west-side proposal was "based on the number of police calls we've had in that area after the bars close."

The draft ordinance would ban parking between Washington Street and the Cedar River from Mullan Avenue to West Sixth Street from 2 a.m. or 2:30 a.m. until 6 a.m. Parking would still be available in the ramps and under Highway 218.

Police Chief Tom Jennings supported the proposal.

"The bars close and push (patrons) out into the street, then they hang around until we get called," Jennings said. "The issues have not been on the east side."

Council members and Main Street officials took no action on the proposals, which are expected to return for more discussion in the future.

Kleckner said she hopes businesses and residents weigh in on the plan.

"Now is the time they can have the most input," she said.