City Council Okays Meter Fee Hike

LOCK HAVEN — City council Monday night approved doubling the parking meter fee in the downtown.

The vote was 5-2 to approve a new fee schedule to go into effect sometime in the first quarter of next year. The changes include a jump to 50 cents an hour for all on–street meters. That would mean E. Main St. meters would go up from the current 25 cents an hour, metered side streets going up from 10 cents an hour. All street meters would have a 2 hour 15 minute maximum (including 15 free minutes). Off-street meters would see the same fee structure with a maximum 8 hours 15 minutes.

Assistant city manager Greg Wilson had presented a list of the proposals to council at its Dec. 5 meeting. Monday night he said the increased fees would produce enough revenue to sustain the costs associated with the parking program, including the periodic paving of the city’s municipal lots; instead, he said, of putting that financial burden on the taxpayers.

Wilson also said the primary purpose of the new fee schedule is to encourage parking turnover along the downtown streets and parking lots.

Mayor William Baney and council member Ted Forbes voted against the hike. Baney called instead for a trial period of no meter fees, but increased fines for those who parked downtown for more than two hours. His proposal received no support from council, vice-president Steve Stevenson questioning Baney’s timing in proposing his new initiative. Forbes said he favored a 25 cent and 10 cent per hour fee schedule but received no second to his motion.

Council unanimously approved on second reading the city’s 2017 budget, again next year calling for no increase in taxes or water and sewer rates.

City manager Rich Marcinkevage and Mayor Baney lauded area firemen and other volunteers who helped contain and curtail a massive pre-dawn Friday Bellefonte Avenue fire. Several city firemen were attendance and at the mayor’s request, received an ovation from others in council chambers.