LINCOLN — Complaints of noise, trash, squealing tires and large groups of young people hanging around the Mini Mall prompted the Town Council to consider limiting the use of town-owned parking lots.

About 20 people — business owners, town officials, residents, police and one 20-year-old — met Wednesday at the town office to discuss the problems associated with large groups of young people gathering at the Main Street parking lot and to discuss possible solutions.

Lincoln, like many other towns across the state, is finding there are no quick fixes.

Some business owners were quick to admit the large groups of young people did nothing wrong, but said just their presence intimidated older residents and others from patronizing the businesses near the parking lot. A few business owners said they are considering closing shop earlier.

Some officials said they watched young people drink beer, break glass and smoke marijuana in the public parking lot. Loud music late at night disturbed people who live in nearby apartments.

In addition, officials said the young people sometimes yelled obscenities at residents who took nightly walks. Business owners said some of their employees were afraid to walk to their cars parked in the lot. Police said such activities ceased when they were present but would resume after they left the area.

Some said the young people creating the problems did not want to be supervised.

Interim Town Manager Gilberte Mayo challenged civic organizations to volunteer to supervise the youths, possibly at the town’s Ballard Hill Community Center.

Officials said the younger teens hung around the Mini Mall from 6 to 9 p.m., but that it was young adults who were present through the early morning hours.

“A lot of these people are young adults. Some are young girls with crying children on their hips. A lot are not from Lincoln. They come from surrounding communities,” said Deirdra Trask, chairman of the council.

Trask suggested the town consider an ordinance that some other towns have to control the number of people who congregate without a permit. She said police needed something they could enforce.

To correct the situation, some people suggested the town find out what their needs are and take care of it.

“The need is they need parents around telling them to stay home,” said Police Chief Larry Merrithew. He said it was unusual for police to track down the parents of a juvenile they brought home. The chief said the best way to control the problems was for people to immediately report to police what they saw.

One woman, the mother of an 18-year-old who hangs around the parking lot, said the violence between the groups of young people made it difficult for the young people to police themselves.

Trask believes the town needs to be concerned for businesspeople. “We are trying to bring business to this community, not drive it away. If we drive these young hoodlums away, so be it,” Trask said.

Disappointed that only one young person attended the meeting Wednesday, town officials will hold another informal meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, in the town office.

A public hearing on a proposed change to the town’s traffic ordinance prohibiting parking between 9 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. in the seven town-owned parking lots will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, in the town office.

The change would prohibit use of town parking lots unless the driver of a vehicle was engaged in official business within the business district. Overnight parking would be permitted with permission of the police chief and through display of a permit to do so.