Meaford Council Chambers. Photo by Claire McCormack
Meaford committee of the whole has passed a recommendation to expand the municipality’s paid parking program for out-of-town visitors to include David Johnston Park and Meaford Harbour next year.
A report from was brought forward by Meaford’s Director of Community Services Matt Smith at Monday’s committee of the whole meeting, which sought council’s approval to permanently continue the paid parking program at Memorial Park.
The report says after a consultation with the Parks Advisory Committee, staff recommended expanding the program to include the other two locations in 2022, as the program brought more vehicles to the Memorial Park, and the increased revenues would cover the needed additional enforcement and washroom cleaning costs.
The decision comes shortly after Owen Sound decided against looking into a similar parking system for non-residents at parks and facilities.
During the pilot in Memorial Park, the municipality was able to rake in over $15,000, lower than the $70,000 budget set.
While the pilot was running, about 1,600 resident passes were given out to locals looking to park at Memorial Park. Non-residents were able to buy a daily pass for $10, or a seasonal one for $100.
The report says municipal officers and Memorial Park staff received few complaints about the paid parking. When signs were put up, staff found visitors were proactive in paying for the parking.
Council deliberated on how the paid parking has operated in the area, and were trying to determine if they should cancel the program, maintain it permanently at Memorial Park, or expand it to other urban waterfront parks.
Included in the passed recommendations, the paid parking would allow for fee exemptions for certain events at Meaford Harbour. Deputy Mayor Shirley Keaveney asks what events those would entail, and what the process would be.
“For the Golden Town Cruisers, if they are going to have an event, and people are coming out of town could they apply for an exception from that particular event,” says Keaveney. “In terms of the businesses that operate at the harbour like the fishing charter, and the new kayak rental business, I am worried about the paid parking having an impact on those two businesses and how we might get around that.”
Smith was not able to respond to this particular question, as he says they have not considered what those exemptions would look like yet, until council decided on expanding non-resident paid parking to Meaford Harbour.
“As for businesses, my feeling would be if you start exempting businesses who are there as well as community events, then you are starting to take away a lot of the potential revenue,” says Smith.
After discussing whether or not council would have liked to defer the recommendation, it was identified if they did not pass anything, the paid parking pilot would stop then and there.
“Why would we not try to expand it into both of those areas,” says Mayor Barb Clumpus. “I just think expanding it at this time gives us further options and it also ensures the cost of maintaining that advanced service we have established through the pandemic of washroom cleaning and encouragement of abiding by the parking situation.”
Staff estimate the municipality should be able to rake in $60,000 for the full season next year through the expanded paid parking program for out-of-town visitors.