There may be free parking in Owen Sounds downtown for a five-week period leading up to Christmas.
Patty Marr — the co-owner of Bikeface Cycling on 10th Street East — presented city council on Monday night with a petition, asking that parking fees be waived this year between November 20 and Christmas Day.
She says that, in a tough economy, consumers should be enticed to spend money downtown without fear of a ticket if theyve stayed a little bit too long in a parking spot.
Marr told council she visited her fellow downtown merchants, speaking with them as well as customers, and solicited more than 150 signatures in a two-day period.
She is a member of the Downtown Improvement Area, but says she tackled this initiative entirely on her own.
Council directed staff to prepare a report looking into the issue.
It will come back to council on November 23rd, not in time to meet Marrs requested start date for parking fee waivers, but she says she is happy the request is receiving due consideration.
It was noted on Monday that the city may lose between 20 and 25 thousand dollars in parking revenues if Marrs request is granted.
But Councillors also seemed to agree that downtown merchants and consumers need a break.