Offstreet Parking Fees to Change
Prince George, B.C. – The cost of off street parking will be rolled back and incremental increases are on the way. It was a split vote on an ammendment that will see new rates and a split vote that will see the changes move forward. The rates will be the old rate plus 25%, and a further 15% added at the start of each of the next two years.
Three Councillors, Everitt, Krause and Lyn Hall, asked Council to start a new incremental rate in April, that will be based on the 2013 rate plus a percentage increase for the balance of the year. There would be a further incremental increase January 1, 2015 and again at the start of 2015.
Last summer. Council had pushed through significant increases to the costs for off street parking.. In some cases, the monthly rate was doubled. Councillor Frank Everitt says there was so much to be discussed at the July meeting when that matter passed, this one slipped through.
Councillor Murry Krause says he is not afraid to say he believes he made a mistake. But, there is an opportunity to correct that mistake.
At issue, the funds needed to upgrade and maintain the older parkades in the City. The offstreet parking reserve, which is funded through monthly rental rates and downtown property owners who pay a special levy, has enough money to move forward with the capital plans in 2014 that call for $.143 million dollars worth of upgrades to the 5th Avenue parkade, the oldest parkade in the City.
Rob Whitwham, who is the director in charge of public facilities, says the repairs needed at this time are not to suggest that there is a public safety issue, "Certainly there are significant capital maintenance work that need to be done and administration beleives we need to move forward as delays would exacerbate the problem and increase costs."
Whitwham said if the rates are rolled back, then the City will not collect $244,713.00 in 2014. In 2015, that loss would amount to $289,046.00 and in 2016 the loss would be a further $200,301.00 Those are precious dollars when there are two other parkades in need of repair. The second Avenue parkade needs $2.75 million dollars in maintenance, and the Plaza parkade neeeds $1.7 million in repairs and maintenance.
"What is the cost of people leaving, and not paying anything for parking?" asked Councillor Frank Everitt. He says when the parking stalls are too costly, people will simply not use them at all, and will, instead, chose to park on the street and play the parking stall hop scotch game that has frustrated the City and downtown businesses.
According to research, the City should be putting about $700 thousand dollars towards "vertical" infrastructure such as parkades.
Councillor Garth Frizzell says the existing increases created "tax shock". He says the way to go about it would be to impose incremental increases, he suggests the rate be boosted by 25% this year, then 15% in each of the next two.
Councillor Cameron Stolz says he could not support the motion because there is nothing to say the proposed increases would address the infrastructure needs "For Christ's sake, given me a number that gets us to where we need to be" said Stolz.
Councillor Albert Koehler says it would have been an option to bring increases incrementally "If we go back to the old rates wewould lose financially big time". Koehler says if the issue isn't dealt with, "We may have to increase taxes again."
Councillor Brian Skakun says while Councillor Koehler may not want to revist this decision, "It is our democratic right as a Council to revisit and make a change." He says he thinks a 10% increase per year for the next three years would be acceptable. He also debunked the theory that general taxpayers would face significant tax hikes if rental fees are reduced "This isn't a matter covered by the general taxpayer, and $200 thousand is less than one half of a percent."
The bottom line?
Mayor Green, Councillors Stolz, Wilbur and Everitt voted against the ammendment which called for a 25% boost and two annual increases of 15%. Everitt voted against it as he preferred a 10% increase in April, and in each of the following two years.
Councillors Murry Krause, Brian Skakun, Albert Koehler, Lyn Hall and Garth Frizzell supported the ammendment.
The vote on the full motion, which gave direction to staff to come back with a new bylaw to reflect the new rate change, was supported by Councillors Everitt, Krause, Skakun, Koehler, Frizzell and Hall. The Mayor, Councillors Wilbur and Stolz were against the motion.
Comments
much more sensible increases in my opinion…..
Now get those people that park on the street and for free to pay something and I think we are in business!!
We have a downtown? Who knew ?
“Councillor Garth Frizzell says the existing increases created “tax shock”. He says the way to go about it would be to impose incremental increases, he suggests the rate be boosted by 25% this year, then 15% in each of the next two.”
You mean a bigger tax shock Garth! The rest of PG is shocked about all the tax increases from property tax to utility bill that is getting bigger and bigger with the snow removal being tacked on and the ridiculous storm water levy……..
Is it just me, am i the only one with a calculator or did Lynn Hall and Garth Frizzell just INCREASE the parking fees down town!!!
By my calculation….at the end of 2016 the parking fees will actually be MORE than what was approved initially!!!
Lynn Hall, Brian Skakun and Garth Frizzel are trying to appear as thought they are doing something for the people. When in fact all they did tonight was raise the rates. Get out your calculator and do the math yourself.
The people of Prince George can add Lynn….Your are not fooling anyone.
In a related issue… the city proposes to spend $6.3 million to change the parking configuration on 2nd, 5th, and 7th avenues adding 220 parking stalls at a cost of $28,636 per parking stall in an effort to slow down winter snow removal in the winter with nifty bulb outs. The needed on street parking space is anticipated as a result of the parkade policies.
I wonder if the original planners were on to something when they built the streets with a straight curb easy to plow quickly in the winter months, and then lined them with canopies for ice free sidewalks?
If we have no growth in the downtown, then why not pay down the debt and get the fiscal house in order first? Why keep trying to reinvent the wheel? Maybe allocate a bit of the money saved to help fill the fiscal hole from a failure of the city to plan its maintenance budget on parkades appropriately?
once we get all those new free angle parking spots, we wont have to pay to park in lots any more. there will be lots more free parking spots for all the downtown workers, and less spots for actual customers of the downtown businesses. how about making the off-street parking rates affordable and more people will use them
They say that history repeats itself. I’ve lived in Prince George all my life and as I approach my late 50’s I can still remember when parking downtown went from angled parking to parallel parking. The idea being to widen the roads. Now as a city we want to spend 6.3 million dollars to bring back angled parking? For what reason? I don’t see downtown booming. Go downtown on a weekend and much of it is dead….wouldn’t it be wiser to take that 6.3 million dollars and buy more graders and sanders for winter operation and maybe invest in an asphalt plant so we can patch the pot holes quicker. Where is the common sense on City Council?
Did Stolz actually swear in frustration with his other members of council? Taking the lord’s name in vain is not what is taught in Sunday school.
I am also not sure what it says when a member of Council doesn’t even know how parkades downtown are paid for. Good thing Skakun set Councilor Koehler straight. The off street parking is paid for by downtown property owners and by those who use the parkades. The cost to maintain them doesn’t come from general taxes.
The missed point here is the fee for off street parking shouldn’t be decided by Council but rather by the downtown property owners that have to pay for off-street parking through a special levy.
Maybe they would be willing to pay more to keep monthly parking affordable while still having the required funds to maintain the parkades? Did the mayor or any member of Council think to ask the DBIA what they thought about this? I bet not as this lot is like all the rest – once they get elected they become experts of everything.
Garth Frizzel, Lynn Hall and the lefties raised the rates. Pure and simple. Do the math.
I would have expected rate increases from the left but not from Lynn Hall or Garth Frizzel.
In the last election Lynn was the darling of the business community……what a disappointment Lynn has become.
I can’t tell the difference between Lynn Hall and the NDP.
As for Koehler…..oy vey!! Koehler!! were you asleep?? Is it you….Koehler….Jacuse! You raised the rates. Whats worse is that you didn’t even know you were doing it!
Cheetos and the others that mention the fact that downtown streets have been one way, two way, angled parking, parallel parking and even some feeble attempts at no traffic and no parking, you should all know by now it is like the education system, every ten or twenty years we need a change because some people forget the details of what it was before or some new guru comes along and we all bow down to him or her.
It is the cycle of life.
The problem is, we have to pay for each and every one of those changes and don’t you dare be a naysayer and counter the folks that know better than you or I.
I am not sure how a proposal for a 10% increase above the 2013 rate every year for three years ended up as 25% + 15% + 15%.
This was the table proposed by the three who brought the thing back:
blog/view/30596/1/off+street+parking+rates++issue+returning+to+council?id=140&st=15
This is how the first ten categories in the table, which are all the parkades, looks like for year 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
2nd ave $48.66$60.83$69.95$80.44
2nd ave$42.41$53.01$60.96$70.11
2nd ave$37.50$46.88$53.91$61.99
2nd ave$36.43$45.54$52.37$60.22
5th ave$59.82$74.78$85.99$98.89
5th ave$41.95$52.44$60.30$69.35
Plaza$45.00$56.25$64.69$74.39
Plaza$32.50$40.63$46.72$53.73
Westel$61.16$76.45$87.92$101.11
6th ave$80.00$100.00$115.00$132.25
Here is what it looks like for 2016 with the previous proposed 2014 figures
2nd ave$90.00$80.44 decrease
2nd ave$90.00$70.11 decrease
2nd ave$60.00$61.99 increase
2nd ave$60.00$60.22 increase
5th ave$95.00$98.89 increase
5th ave$65.00$69.35 increase
Plaza$90.00$74.39 decrease
Plaza$60.00$53.73 decrease
Westel$90.00$101.11 increase
6th ave$110.00$132.25 increase
That is based on the notion that the same percentage is applied to all facilities. That is the way it looks from the above article of what the decision at council was.
It results in the 6th avenue parkade, for instance, moving from the 2013 figure of $80 to $132.25/month which amounts to a cumulative increase of 65.3% …. that is what happens when one does a 25% increment plus a 15% increment plus another 15% increment.
As P VAl knows from his/her little sister, 25+15+15 does not equal 55, it equals 65.3% when talking percentage increments. ;-)
You are right, yourkiddingme, they did raise the rates in some instances if the percentage increase is applied the same to each of the categories.
However, I am not sure whether the original accepted proposal has 2016 rates in there. Remember, that is a new council plus a new budget and no matter what they decide, it is all reviewable whenever they wish.
Maybe someone can look into it.
With the recent plan from city hall for a new multimillion dollar parking meter contract just a few short months ago:
Was that plan for A) the current parallel set up, or for B) the new plan for angle parking, or C) would it not matter either way and the system would still work the same with neutral revenue despite 220 more spaces?
I think this is important as it tells a lot about city hall… their attention span on details that is. If the new on street parking plan was not envisioned or accounted for as a possibility only three months ago, such a major expenditure with a long term contract envisioned that is… then truly we are getting the snow job, or they only plan long term from monthly horizons with tunnel vision.
Easier to scan your license plate with angled parking! Go figure!!!
I agree Eagleone, it would be interesting to know. Also agree that it would be easier to scan plates, NoWay.
A quick look at some suppliers indicates they are able to view the plates in parallel or various angles of parking.
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