Decatur Proposes Raising Parking Meter Fee to $2 An Hour
Decatur Metro | June 15, 2015 | 2:30 pm
Also on the agenda for tonight’s Decatur City Commission meeting – adopting the always-thrilling “fee schedule” for the coming year.
There actually are a few interesting items that are either being added or increasing this year, not least of which is the fee at metered parking spots increasing from $1.50 an hour to $2.
The City’s Meredith Roark summarized the following revisions to the fee schedule in a letter to City Manager Peggy Merriss…
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Cemetery – – Increasing the interment, cinerarium and cremains burial fees.
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Public Safety – – Adding a food truck inspection fee. ($25)
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Parking – – Increasing the parking meter fee to $2 per hour. (In 14-15, the fee was $1.50 per hour.)
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Recreation – – Adjusting facility rental fee dues to increased use of Decatur and Ebster Recreation Centers. – Adjusting camp and class fees for various Active Living and Children & Youth Service offerings.
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Revenue – – Adding a duplicate FiFa release fee. ($12) – Increasing the fee for insufficient funds when paying by check to $50. (In 14-15, the fee was $35.)
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Special Events – – Adding a Run/Walk permit fee. ($150 fee plus $250 sanitation bond.)
Sounds good to me. The typical pricing goal is achieving a 15% vacancy rate at any given time. I usually find fewer open spaces than that when I’m downtown, especially during peak hours, so maybe an uptick will send more cars to the decks.
Over my cold, dead coin pouch! But not so seriously folks – I’d pay $3.00 an hour if they could hold down the City Taxes. Heck, I’d pay more! I say soak the tourists to subsidize our schools!
Speaking of, when did the Meter Maids start working Saturdays (I saw one just this past weekend)? Saturdays used to be “free for locals” day because the tourists would just read the sign and pay, unaware there was no enforcement.
They were talking about it last year – http://www.decaturmetro.com/2014/06/16/new-decatur-parking-meters-to-be-installed-next-week/
“There’s also been talk around here of late about the start of Saturday parking enforcement.
Decatur has long had stated metered times on Saturday, but hasn’t enforced those limits. Menne tells DM that when that occurs, the city may start out just enforcing the 2 hour limit, but not ticketing. Menne says the city is still gathering information on how spaces are being used on Saturday and the approach to Saturday enforcement is “still a work in progress but whatever we do will involve a lot of public notice before tickets are issued. Our goal is not to ticket. Our goal is keep the best, most convenient on-street spaces turning over so customers have a reasonable expectation of finding a parking space.””
So what happened to the “public notice”? I haven’t heard a thing about a change to start enforcing parking limits or meter use on Saturdays.
My best guess is that they’ve been out for the past three months. Maybe longer. I think they’re ticketing.
I saw them out on Saturday morning but didn’t see actual ticket writing occurring. I have tried to pay on a Saturday (via the parkmobile app) and the total amount due was $0.00? So, I assumed they weren’t enforcing it, yet.
Raising the camp fees should not be on the plate. They are already at the brink for any family with 2 kids who aren’t away for the summer. Gotta’ think wisely about that.
What’s the point of putting parking enforcement people on the street on Saturdays if they aren’t going to write tickets and generate revenue?
Agree with Angelo, I’m for anything that raises revenue off of the city’s visitors rather than the residents.