Bethlehem council delays parking vote

Members want to know how increased fine would help pay for new garage.

A proposal to increase the fine for an expired parking meter was postponed by Bethlehem City Council at least until the city Parking Authority explains how a larger fine will help finance a new parking garage.

The decision came Wednesday night in a 6-1 vote, with Councilman Bryan Callahan the only vote against it, saying council should be looking at it as only a move to raise the fine rather than in the context of constructing a new parking garage on Polk Street.

If council were to authorize an increase, the fine would likely go from $10 to $15.

Council’s decision not to make a move on the increase will have no impact on parking meter rates, which will go from $1 to $1.50 per hour starting Jan. 1.

A decades-old rule created when the Parking Authority became independent of the police department specifies that the mayor is charged with parking meter rates while council is charged with fines.

Council President Adam Waldron said he was asked by Bethlehem Parking Authority Executive Director Kevin Livingston on Monday to postpone a vote on the measure by council.

Callahan disagreed and said the authority did want a vote, which Waldron said, “Even if it were voted on tonight it would fail.’

“Council wants more information on how the fine increase would be tied to financing the Polk Street garage,’’ Waldron said.

“We would like to know about Polk and other long-term plans of the Parking Authority,” he said after the meeting.

There are no detailed or solid plans released about a Polk Street parking garage, which Waldron said at this point is just a proposal.

Callahan said a $10 fine is not a deterrent for someone who wants to use a metered parking space all day, because it’s cheaper to pay the fine than to feed money into the meter.

“If we don’t make a decision tonight that’s OK. Because all we have before us is a penalty and to me it’s a no-brainer,’’ he said.

He said the Parking Authority’s finances are sound enough that it could get financing without city backing to build a Polk Street garage. Fines and meter revenue would used to make payments on the bond.

“If their finances are so terrific we shouldn’t have to raise the rates,’’ said Councilwoman Paige Van Wirt.

She questioned Callahan on the need to pass a increase now when, “This is a very arbitrary timeline.”

Mayor Robert Donchez said Parking Authority representatives are tentatively scheduled to come before council in February 2019 to provide financing and other details about the Polk Street project.

Charles Malinchak is a freelance writer.