Tough to argue with recommendation to hike parking meter rates

It’s very hard to argue with City administration’s case for increasing metered parking to $1 an hour downtown. As presented at today’s City council meeting by bylaws guy Jon Wilson this afternoon, it’s a matter of “parking paying for parking.”

The age of the current 850 meters — which would be replaced with 90 pay stations — ranges from five to almost 20 years, he said. They aren’t built to last more than about five years, so maintenance is high.

The new technology would include more options for paying for parking downtown.

Hard to read individual councillors during today’s council discussion (although Coun. Marg Spina suggested boosting the rate but keeping the meters for a couple of more years and then using the money toward swapping out the meters), as they’re holding fire until the public-input process is completed, but I’m guessing it would take a lot of pushback from the public to derail this initiative.

There will be some squawking about how City residents already pay enough taxes and this is just one more straw on the camel’s back. And, as Mayor Peter Milobar opined today, many downtown merchants hope some of the revenue will go toward a new parkade.

Keep in mind, though, that the new parking system itself will be paid for by revenue from the increased rates rather than from property taxes, so it’s user pay.

It’s also worth acknowledging that this issue has been well reviewed by both public and City Hall, which seems to have learned from mistakes made on the parkade-at-the-park fiasco. This time, the City and Kamloops Central BIA have teamed up to ensure that the issue has been looked at thoroughly and that taxpayers have had plenty of opportunity for input.  A committee created the strategy, the BIA has held two open houses and the Kamloops Voters Society has held a public forum, and adjustments have been made along the way.

A further public open house is set for Feb. 26 and then council will review it again. It will include two presentations, after which the public can speak individually with staff. A general Q&A will cap off the evening. That’s pretty thorough engagement.

So, it seems very likely we’ll be paying a dollar an hour, double what we’ve been spoiled with for many years, before long.