Parking meters? In Healdsburg?

For 20-odd years I have been spending my early mornings at the Downtown Bakery and Creamery with a ragtag group of friends [referred to affectionately (?) as The Bench Bunch]. Some of us arrive as the Bakery is dragging the benches out the front door to start the day, others arrive later; we are dispersed by 10:30. Most of us drive, some bicycle and the few lucky ones walk. We generally park on the North, East and South sides of the Plaza. We are “townies” dedicated to patronizing our downtown. We have established long and friendly relationships with the proprietors, new and old. Our experiences are what make Healdsburg unique in our trend-crazy, ever-up-scaling county. Healdsburg is a neighborhood with friendly townsfolk who actively engaged with visitors making sure that they enjoy their visits. We understand that the city is about to encounter a rather sizable deficit which some feel would be shored up by installing parking meters on the plaza and extended business district. Parking meters are for cities, big cities with fast-paced lives and next-door neighbors who never see each other. I don’t know what the meters will cost to install and maintain. I don’t know what fees will be charged. I do know that you will need traffic wardens to issue tickets for violations. You will probably need more that you already have. My guess is this is going to cost a bundle with a lengthy interim in which to recover those expenses. I have a suggestion. We have at least one traffic warden whom I see infrequently scooting about the downtown area. I suggest that we eliminate the little golf-cart and arm the warden with a hi-def digital camera. Using creative methods of marking tires to catch violators they can also photograph the hundreds of people who drive around the plaza talking on cell phones. Photograph the license plates and date-stamp the photo. Mail the violation and collect the big bucks along with the parking ticket fees. Issue a few “public drunkenness” and “littering” citations during barrel-tasting weekends and other booze-fests our little town is subjected to. Ticket those that back into parking spaces for entering traffic illegally. This weekend [Passport] I saw plenty of folks driving with the little neon-green wristbands which look to me like a fool-proof signal to stop for a friendly question or two. This would promote the use of designated drivers [a growing cottage business] and prevent expensive fender-benders and worse. Parking meters downtown is a tiny Band-Aid, too small to cover the wound. It will forever change the warmth of our wonderful Plaza and its surrounding businesses.