328 new parking meters approved
Councillors say parking must be paid for like any other service, despite protests that proposal is a 'money grab'
Cody Punter
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, April 30, 2014
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
City council voted in favour of adding an extra 328 parking meters in the downtown core, despite the protest of one councillor who called the move "a money grab" on Monday night.
City council voted in favour of adding an extra 328 parking meters in the downtown core Monday night. The new parking meters, which one councillor characterized as "a money grab," are expected to bring $287,000 per year in revenue for the city once they are installed. - NNSL file photo |
The new meters, which are expected to cost approximately $1,000 each to install, are estimated to bring in a total of $287,000 in annual revenue for the city.
They were proposed after a 2013 report by the city revealed parking spots with meters in the downtown core have a 60 per cent occupancy rate, while non-metered spaces have an occupancy rate of 88 per cent.
There are currently 584 metered parking spaces and 1,005 non-metered spaces.
The added meters don't sit well with Coun. Bob Brooks, who was joined by Coun. Phil Moon Son in voting against the proposal. Brooks said people who park in those free spaces instead of metered ones do so for a reason.
"Where did administration get the idea that people who are currently using free parking would start paying for (it)," said Brooks, who had previously spoken out against the proposal at a committee meeting.
"It pisses me off," he said at the April 22 meeting.
"Everybody on this council said we want to find ways to reduce everyone's cost of living and this goes against what everyone on this council said."
At that same meeting, Coun. Niels Konge suggested one of the reasons Brooks was so upset is because he uses the free parking spots when he goes to work.
"I see his truck parked downtown in unmetered spots all the time," he said.
Brooks didn't respond to Konge's allegation, but said he has monitored conversations on social media over the last week and heard directly from residents who do not want the proposal to move ahead.
While other councillors expressed sympathy over the fact that some people were upset, they pointed out those considerations had to be balanced with the demand from business owners and residents in the downtown area that want to add meters in front of their properties to keep motorists from parking there all day.
Several councillors also pointed out that when the city doesn't have meters in front of its parking spots, the cost of maintaining the city's roads gets pushed onto taxpayers.
"Driving a car is a privilege and that means responsibilities. Part of those responsibilities is paying for your parking," said Konge.
"For some reason, we have this insane sense of entitlement about parking," said Coun. Rebecca Alty, quoting an article from U.S. News & World Report, a Washington-based newsmagazine, circulated to councillors by a resident in favour of adding more meters before the meeting.
"Nobody minds paying their mortgage or their rent, but ask them to pay for any kind of storage for their car, that just seems like it's an un-American way," quoted Alty from the provided article.
Coun. Cory Vanthuyne added that the additional revenue from meters would allow the city to help offset the increasing costs of offering programs and services to residents.
The additional meters will coincide with the implementation of a residential parking pass program, also approved Monday.
The passes will be handed out to businesses and residents in the areas where new meters are set to be installed, said Dennis Marchiori, director of public safety.
Marchiori said the number of passes designated for each property will be determined on a case-by-case basis and based on a set of criteria to be determined at a later date.
The new meters are expected to be installed in phases over two years, with a total of 153 two-hour meters added to 48 Street, 51 Street and 52 Street this year, and 175 nine-hour meters added to 46 Street, 47 Street and 53 Street in 2015.
A successful motion introduced by Konge means that the city will focus on installing the meters in front of businesses before proceeding with those in front of residential properties.
