Rifle officials are dealing with “the most wonderful problem we’ve had in a long time,” Rifle police chief Daryl Meisner said.

That problem is a lack of parking in the downtown core, and the Rifle City Council is slated to discuss it at Wednesday’s regular council meeting. The meeting, which will be held at Rifle City Hall, starts at 7 p.m.

A bustling downtown core has business customers competing for a limited number of spaces downtown, which essentially consists of the two blocks of 3rd Street east and west of Railroad Avenue.

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“We were looking for solutions at a neighborhood meeting,” Meisner said.

Possible solutions include putting up signs informing motorists of parking lots around the downtown area, educating people about alternatives to driving, such as walking or riding a bicycle, and looking into whether stricter enforcement is needed, Meisner said.

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“We’ll be implementing some (solutions), and studying others,” Meisner said.

The downtown area is already posted as a two-hour parking zone ” and has been for years ” but Meisner said he doesn’t have enough officers to enforce the restrictions.

“We’ve been unable to enforce it for years,” he said.

Now, the lack of enforcement has become a problem ” a “wonderful problem.”

Also on the agenda, the Rifle City Council will:

– Hear the results of a financial audit.

– Hear a teen anti-smoking presentation by the Garfield Re-2 School District student ambassadors.

– Hold a public hearing on whether to grant a special events permit for the Stepstone Foundation.

– Hold a public hearing on whether to grant a liquor license to Western Slope Sports for a special event.

– Look at a petition that requests that the city put in a pedestrian crosswalk at 4th Street and Railroad Avenue.

– Hear a proposal requesting the use of city land for a circus.

Contact Greg Masse: 945-8515, ext. 511

gmasse@postindependent.com