Downtown Development Authority Minutes

The Downtown Parking Committee, comprised of City Manager Gary Word, DDA Director Lori Ward, DPW Director Jim Gallogly, Police Chief Jim Petres, DDA members Margene Buckhave and Lou LaChance, business owners Ronnie Cambra and Ron Bodnar, and several downtown residents, had met several times to discuss the issues inherent in the downtown parking problem. A survey was sent to all business owners requesting information on store hours and number of employees. A significant finding of the survey was the number of office employees currently housed in the downtown area. The office employees have been found to park near the businesses and remain parked in those spaces for the day. Also of significance are the 200 employees of MGM that are in town for three to four days per month. Additionally, a number of residents of the downtown use the parking lots.

The proposed action plan of the parking management plan proposed to limit parking lots to 3-hour parking, limit all on-street parking to 2 hours, offer an employee parking permit to be used for parking on the orange dots found in the lots, identify the lot south of MGM and the MainCentre upper deck as overflow lots for employee parking, limit residential permits to one permit for each drivers license, require all residential permit holders to park overnight in an identified area, and increase the monthly fee of a residential permit to $5/month.

Discussion centered on the survey results, the need for updated figures of parking deficits in specific areas, parking enforcement issues, the number of hours for the parking limit in the lots and the streets, various methods of implementing employee parking permits, education of employees regarding the new plan, appropriate signage for parking, and parking fines.

A joint meeting with the Planning Commission was tentatively scheduled for 6:30 PM on May 7^th for the purpose of discussing downtown development and the parking management plan.

It was suggested that a joint study meeting be held with the DDA and City Council with regards to the draft of the parking management plan. Mayor Johnson will offer the suggestion to Council at the May 6^th meeting.

Meeting adjourned 9:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Carol T. Kasprowicz, Recording Secretary