Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Council considers changing parking fees

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New electronic parking meters have been installed at two more parking lots downtown. This prompted a discussion by the Leavenworth City Council at the May 9 study session. The pay stations at the Festhalle (P3) and old warehouse (P2) are changing from cash only to electronic debit/credit stations. 

“The other question is, what are the rates? The rates right now are $5 all day, because that is the easiest way to pay for all that with cash. If you change them, the question is, do you want to keep it the same?,” said City Administrator Joel Walinski. “Do you want to use different rate structures at P2, the lower and P3, the Festhalle lot? If you change the rates too much, people will purchase the ticket at one lot, then put it on their car parked in P1(upper lot).”

Councilwoman Mia Bretz said it makes sense to have the rates the same across the board, unless there is a reason the council wants to encourage parking in another lot. 

“Correct, but it just makes the enforcement more difficult. Right now, when you go to P1, there is a sign there that says, there’s less expensive parking in the Festhalle lot and also P2. We have seen people jump in their car because they like the reduced rate,” Walinski said. “In terms of trying to push people towards the lower lot, that would be the argument for putting a lower rate on that pay station.”

If the city made the parking stubs different colors for different lots, that would only add to the confusion for those that don’t live here, said Mayor Cheri Kelley Farivar. 

“Then, if somebody has an actual pay stub on their dash and they get a ticket, I would be infuriated. If I thought I was doing this right, and bought a parking ticket down here on the exact identical pay station as up here. Then, I found a place to park up here, and I got a $30 ticket. I would be mad,” Farivar said. 

Some people will try to game the system parking in different lots with the wrong ticket, but some people might do that by accident, Farivar pointed out. While paying for parking is a good thing, Farivar said she gets letters and emails from people who had difficulty in city parking lots. 

Some say they are never coming back and telling all their friends, she said. 

“The issue around parking in Leavenworth is infuriating to people. Let’s make it as least infuriating as possible. If what we’re trying to do is move people down to little Beruit (P2) or Festhalle parking, we need to make that really clear or just simplify it and make them all the same,” Farivar said. 

Walinski said they could keep the rates the same until the parking study is done. 

“I think it should be consistent on weekends and festivals. During the week, we have a hard time filling those spots. Same time, I don’t want to overcomplicate things and make it more difficult for our city employees and Pacific Security,” said Councilwoman Gretchen Wearne. “We should wait for the parking study, but I definitely think it should be consistent on weekends.”

City code will have to be amended, so Walinski said he will be bringing back a recommendation to make the fees all the same across the various parking lots. Councilwoman Margaret Neighbors said one of the truisms she’s found, if you can’t be good, be consistent. 

The best parking lot (P1) will fill up first, Farivar said. When that is full, people will move down. That won’t change, she said. 

“Once the parking study is done, we’ll have some options, including starting to look at maybe a local pass or something. The point is, why confuse it early on,” Councilman Elmer Larsen said. 

Hourly wage

With the minimum wages going up, Walinski brought some hourly wage changes to the council, because the council sets the rates. 

“The suggested rate changes we’re looking at is $11 per hour, which the city already had as a base rate. However, what we’re finding, to actually bring employees in, we have to go higher, $11 to $13.50,” Walinski said. “What we’re finding, talking to a number of commercial interests downtown, they having to do the same thing.”

Wearne said they are having to do that at the place she works in order to bring in the better employees. 

“Non-returning seasonal very well might return. It’s not guaranteed they will return. We have many seasonal employees who have been with us a decade or more. Non-returning seasonal does not mean they aren’t coming back,” Farivar said. 

Walinski said he will bring something before the council at a future meeting. 

Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or editor@leavenworthecho.com

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