Decatur Parking Meter Fun Fact
Decatur Metro | June 22, 2010In response to an off-hand comment by the Mayor about “fees” at last night’s Decatur City Commission meeting, City Manager Peggy Merriss explained that you can actually incur a $25 fine for parking in a metered spot for more than 2 hours.
This is different than the $20 fine for an expired meter. The City Manager explained that the 2-hour max fine exists to keep cars rotating through spots on the street.
Makes sense…though I’m not sure most people realize that they could technically be fined for returning to a meter and inserting more coinage to continue on their 2+ hour bender.
For more fee fun, check out pages 47-53 of the supporting materials from last night’s meeting! Like did you know it’s only a $500 fee to sell beer or wine wholesale, but a $5,000 fee to sell “spirituous liquors”?? Or that it’s only $25 for a publication vending bin (aka the Mayor’s worst enemy) permit ??
Latest from Decaturish
Whoo, I thought the fine was $15 for expired meter and $20 for 2-hour violation. When did they go up?
Actually it is $15 for an expired meter. There was an error on the fees list that we corrected at the meeting last night. If you exceed the posted two-hour limit the fine is $20. The $25 rate is for parking in a no parking zone.
The merchants on Ponce claim that the meters are not checked on Saturday. True or false?
I would like to know too. And I realize that my desire for clarity may end up costing downtown parkers more but, for better or for worse, I don’t like ambiguity in my laws, fees, and fines. When I put money in the parking meter on Saturday, I feel like an idiot because no one else is but if I don’t, I feel guilty. So I have a compromise whereby, if I’m by myself, I don’t put money in the meter. If I’m with children, I do, because I don’t want to have to explain my weird logic about when it’s ok to bend the rules and when it’s not. But I would prefer that the City of Decatur was consistent. If it wants folks to pay the meter on Saturday, but not Sunday, the rules should be prominently posted and enforced with meter checkers on Saturday, just like Monday through Friday. If it’s not worth paying meter checkers on Saturday, then change the rule to allow free parking on Saturday. An inconsistent message is not good for my moral compass.
Might want to upgrade to GPS.
Very well put.
Rest easy. There is no ambiguity in the laws, fees or fines. Meters require payment on Saturdays. The cost is clearly noted. Any fines incurred would be the same as weekdays.
There is ambiguity in enforcement, however, given they don’t patrol on Saturdays, but I’m assuming your morality isn’t dependent on whether or not something’s enforced…
Morality is the accepted standard of right and wrong. I, personally believe it is wrong to mislead people. The meters, if you can read them, are misleading: period. Next to that, who ever wanted government to be the arbiter of morality.
This was to karass’ comment.
Meters I have used recently don’t say when they must be paid. Why are there not stickers on meters with the hours/days posted as there are in other cities?