The City of Monroe's insistence on finding some way to collect revenue from parking around the downtown Square continues to bring about interesting if not desirable scenarios.
On Monday, it was learned that any free parking time limits the city might place on drivers may apply to full rows rather than just individual stalls. For example, if a time limit is three or four hours, as Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley proposes, a driver would have to move to another row - a different side of the Square - to avoid a ticket and fine. Simply moving to another stall in the same row would not restart the clock.
Sound confusing? It probably would be to infrequent visitors, such as tourists, who have come to a freshly renovated Square to shop.
On Tuesday, it was learned that Green County government wants to weigh in on the parking situation. The city's Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee postponed discussing a draft ordinance regarding parking and parking enforcement because the county's Property, Parks and Insurance Committee wants to discuss the matter before the city moves forward.
The county owns the inner ring of the Square, while the city owns the outer ring. Green County Board Chairman Art Carter told the Times on Wednesday that he's not sure whether the county wants to place parking limits on inner-ring stalls. That question is on the committee's agenda for its 9 a.m. Friday meeting.
So, conceivably, parking could be free for an unlimited amount of time on the inner ring, but be free for only a restricted time period on the outer ring.
Between the rules about the rings and rows, there's plenty of potential for confusion among those wishing to park on the Square, which the city must avoid.
The easiest way to avoid the confusion would be to allow people to park wherever they want for as long as they want along the Square. That's the most business-friendly approach, one we've advocated for the past year.
But since the city appears poised to count on parking revenue in its 2010 budget, it appears determined to establish some set of rules and fine system. If that's the case, at the very least the city and county must work together to ensure that the rules are the same in both the inner and outer rings. We don't think that's too much ask.
On Monday, it was learned that any free parking time limits the city might place on drivers may apply to full rows rather than just individual stalls. For example, if a time limit is three or four hours, as Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley proposes, a driver would have to move to another row - a different side of the Square - to avoid a ticket and fine. Simply moving to another stall in the same row would not restart the clock.
Sound confusing? It probably would be to infrequent visitors, such as tourists, who have come to a freshly renovated Square to shop.
On Tuesday, it was learned that Green County government wants to weigh in on the parking situation. The city's Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee postponed discussing a draft ordinance regarding parking and parking enforcement because the county's Property, Parks and Insurance Committee wants to discuss the matter before the city moves forward.
The county owns the inner ring of the Square, while the city owns the outer ring. Green County Board Chairman Art Carter told the Times on Wednesday that he's not sure whether the county wants to place parking limits on inner-ring stalls. That question is on the committee's agenda for its 9 a.m. Friday meeting.
So, conceivably, parking could be free for an unlimited amount of time on the inner ring, but be free for only a restricted time period on the outer ring.
Between the rules about the rings and rows, there's plenty of potential for confusion among those wishing to park on the Square, which the city must avoid.
The easiest way to avoid the confusion would be to allow people to park wherever they want for as long as they want along the Square. That's the most business-friendly approach, one we've advocated for the past year.
But since the city appears poised to count on parking revenue in its 2010 budget, it appears determined to establish some set of rules and fine system. If that's the case, at the very least the city and county must work together to ensure that the rules are the same in both the inner and outer rings. We don't think that's too much ask.
