04-07-87 Parking Comm Minutes• April 7, 1987 PARKING COMMISSION 4:00 P.M.
Commission members Howard Fryett, Bob Ivey and Colin Wills in attendance.
Chief Stefanic, Ed Gallagher, Building Official Jackson, Ken Yachechak, Dave
Townsend, and Roger Hopkins of the Daily Inter Lake also present.
DAVE TOWNSEND/STOCKMAN'S BAR EXPANSION - Expansion plans call for going
into the area presently used by the barbershop. The problem is that this becomes
a change of use for that area, which means a change in the parking requirements.
Building Official Jackson stated that according to the zoning ordinance how
can he know what was allowed previously when no records have been kept of what
the use was ten years ago. He also pointed out that the Parking Commission
has not put a price on parking spaces. Colin Wills felt that the rule requiring
x-number of extra parking spaces should be abolished altogether and the City
should go to the Salem plan. The discussion pointed out that restaurants and
bars are the hardest hit. Howard Fryett stated that he had a problem with
the attitude that we need to "get the students off the streets" because the
students are "customers" of the College. He did agree that the faculty and
staff should not be parking on the street. Building Official Jackson felt
that rather than making a variance the rules need to be changed - he suggested
going back to no parking requirements for the B-S d'istfict (Downtown Business
District). Since there was not a quorum no decision was made.
MALL PARKING LOT -• The Commission members wondered why the Council had
turned down the request to lease a portion of the mall parking lot. Chief
• Stefanic responded that they had voiced several concerns: (1) Policing.
(2) The acquisition of lot after lot without an increase in the policing ability.
(3) Objection to the philosophy of solving the parking problems of private
industry (i.e. the mall). (4) Questions concerning the leasing of a portion
of a lot vs. leasing the whole lot. (5) Concern that we run people off the
street and then harass them where they go.
•
MONTANA BUILDING LOT - Ken Yachechak stated that as owner of this lot
he is footing the liability, maintenance, etc., and is experiencing a loss
of revenues while his employees are parking on the street. In order to raise
the revenues for this lot while at the same time solving the problem of employees
parking on the street he proposed making this a permit lot and charging the
market rate. The alternative would be to cancel the lease and police the lot
themselves, also collecting the lease money. He stated that 3 meters are still
missing from the lot, and since he receives only a percentage ofthemeter
income and nothing from the tickets, every meter that is missing and every
space set aside for someone means he loses income. He also made an offer to
sell the lot to the Commission for $35,000. He said he would finance, or swap
for a piece of land on the outside edge of town.
ADDITIONAL METER MAID - Chief Stefanic stated that the Animal Warden was
working only half-time and suggested that he be hired to work half-time for
for Commission policing meters. All present were in favor and felt that this
move would pay for itself. Chief Stefanic will touch base with the Commission
members who are absent from this meeting and prepare a recommendation for the
Council.
ajg