Streets’ parking rates to rise

Fort Smith OKs meter increases

FORT SMITH —Parking will cost more downtown as city directors Tuesday passed the first parking meter rate increase in more than 32 years.

The ordinance, which doubles the parking meter rate on downtown’s main street, Garrison Avenue, and Rogers Avenue that parallels it, went into effect after City Clerk Sherri Gard read it for the third time over three meetings. The ordinance passed into law without discussion or a vote from directors.

The three readings were necessary for passage because the initial vote on the ordinance Jan. 16 didn’t get enough votes from the seven directors to pass in a single reading. Directors George Catsavis, Don Hutchings and Kevin Settle voted against the ordinance at that meeting.

The ordinance raises the

meter rate for the 315 meters on Garrison and Rogers avenues from 25 cents to 50 cents an hour. The 120 meters on downtown side streets and on a 55-space parking lot at Eighth Street and Rogers Avenue will cost 25 cents for 40 minutes instead of an hour for 25 cents. Fifty cents will buy 90 minutes of time.

“Taking account for inflation over the past 32 years, 25 cents in 1985 is equal to 58 cents today,” City Administrator Carl Geffken wrote in a Jan. 2 memo to directors.

Fines also will go up. The initial fine will double to $10 and must be paid by 6 p.m. the day after the violation, the ordinance said. If not, fines will increase incrementally to $25 if the ticket is not paid within 15 days of the violation.

City directors had considered but rejected charging for parking at the 172-space parking lot on Second Street and Garrison Avenue because of widespread opposition to the proposal. Fort Smith’s farmers market is held on the lot.

The increased meter rates are estimated to generate nearly $ 149,000 this year, according to the copy of the 2018 budget on the city’s website, up from the current meter revenue of $72,000 for fees and $21,600 for fines. Next year, with a full year of collections, the budget estimates the meters will generate just more than $200,000.

With passage of the ordinance, city officials plan to use some of the increased meter money to replace the current coin meters with 435 smart meters that will accept credit/debit cards, payment by phone app and coins.

The new meters are estimated to cost around $217,000, according to budget figures.

Some of the money, an estimated $10,000, also will go to installing an automated gate at the entrance of the city’s three-tier parking deck that will eliminate the need for an attendant. Parking deck fees are budgeted to bring in $75,000 this year.

Money from the increased meter fees along with part of the $350,000 already in the Parking Authority’s account will be used to pay an estimated $160,000 for deck repairs and upgrades, and to pay a cleaning service for the parking deck.