I didn't attend the City Commission's work session meeting on Tuesday night, but one of the agenda items pertained to increasing the downtown parking fees. A public hearing on this issue is scheduled for October 6.
According to this article in the Tribune, the city will still lose money ($19,500) even if the fees are increased. Here are the numbers:
Meter rates:
Currently - .25/hour (since 1981)
Proposed increase - .50/hour
Fiscal impact: An additional $168,000 which would go into the city parking program
Parking fines:
Currently: $3.00 (since 1987)
Proposed increase: $5.00
Fiscal impact: An additional $40,300 which would go into the city's general fund to help cover core costs, such as police, fire and public works.
According to this article in the Tribune, the city will still lose money ($19,500) even if the fees are increased. Here are the numbers:
Meter rates:
Currently - .25/hour (since 1981)
Proposed increase - .50/hour
Fiscal impact: An additional $168,000 which would go into the city parking program
Parking fines:
Currently: $3.00 (since 1987)
Proposed increase: $5.00
Fiscal impact: An additional $40,300 which would go into the city's general fund to help cover core costs, such as police, fire and public works.
A big concern is the effect this could have on downtown.
What do think? Will increasing the fees be a detriment to downtown? Share your ideas/thoughts and vote in my very unofficial poll.
What do think? Will increasing the fees be a detriment to downtown? Share your ideas/thoughts and vote in my very unofficial poll.
8 comments:
What does the City's Parking Program do?
Why don't you ask someone who knows?
The city will lose money and even more discouragement to go downtown, this is BAD
This is a link to the Community Development's parking division:
http://www.greatfallsmt.net/people_offices/cdev/parking/index.htm
I'm checking to see if more information about this program was shared at the work session.
We have been living in the past for the last 27 years. $.25? Ridiculous! $.50? Welcome to the present!
Raising parking rates shouldn't be the first response..other communities
have 'parking holidays' and
bag the meters, so why not try some trials, innovate, try it and don't just come up with unimaginative 'raise parking rate' solution..be innovative!
One additional issue brought up at the work session was that the parking lots the city owns have not been repaired for quite some time and now need work before they crumble.
When there are no new creative ideas or solutions explored, the easy road is to THROW more money at the issue in hopes it will go away.
What they are saying is we are lazy and will delay this for future administrations to handle.
Way to roll up the sleeves and deal with real city business. Now they can get back and focus on running a make believe electric utility that does not help the citizens of Great Falls.
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