Downtown Parking item on tonight's City Commission agenda 10/4

Click here for back-up on item.  This is another item brought forward by Commissioner Maxwell; the other is the item related to the Office of Inspector General recommendations.  We learned from Mayor Waterman last night that the Commission has met 22 times since she took office.  Most of those meetings were work sessions and most of those were related to the budget.  The thing about work sessions is that public comment is rarely, if ever, allowed.  The City Commission is not supposed to be making decisions or taking action at these meetings.  They are designed, when used well, to delve into issues more deeply than can be done during regular commission meetings.

However, it seems that there are many "consensuses" and "understandings" that result from those meetings.  Aren't those just another name for decisions?  And aren't these done outside the typical "public eye" since most are during the day and do not allow for public comment?  Is this parking decision a result of one of those "consensuses" - as identified in the City Manager's recommendation on the item?

Decisions related to parking, in my opinion, rank high on the priority scale for public involvement and have a high potential to affect, either positively or negatively, economic activity in the downtown.  Anything related to it should be done with advanced notice to those most affected by changes in parking policy, the downtown merchants.  It appears that this change, regardless of its merits, was done in a vacuum and is coming as a surprise to many.  This sends a message that City Hall doesn't care about soliciting input and can act unilaterally, since it knows best...period.

And is PBSO going to actively enforce this reduced maximum time limit?  Signs are one thing but the policy has to be enforced if it is going to be effective.  While we are at it, could we have a report on revenue and expenses associated with the privately owned parking lot between K and L Streets, leased by the city, which seems to be unoccupied most of the time, except for weekend evenings?

The idea to speed up turnover of parking spaces and prevent merchants and employees from parking in prime spaces is a good one.  However, Commissioner Maxwell is right to raise the issue about the surprise nature of this change.  It also pulls back on the veil on what really goes on in these "work sessions."

The City Manager has figured our that democracy is an inefficient way to govern and that dictatorial edicts are much more efficient.