The Paso Robles city council established a parking Ad Hoc committee during one of its meetings back in June. Since then, the Ad Hoc committee has met four times to provide recommendations and findings to the city council. Council discussed the Ad Hoc committee’s findings in its meeting last night, and how to move forward with the program.
After council’s introduction to the item, about an hour of public comment followed. Most members of the public asked for the elimination of the parking program entirely.
The item was then brought back to the council. Council’s discussion split between eliminating the parking program, or following some of the ad hoc committee’s recommendations for changes. Councilman Chris Bausch made the first motion, requesting the parking program be eliminated for a three or four hour timed parking area, and look into the feasibility of acquiring land for a parking structure. The motion did not receive a second.
Councilman Steve Gregory then made a motion to change the parking program: charging a dollar per hour from the start, and allowing an unlimited number of senior passes with the limit of one per household. The motion passed 3 – 2. Councilmen Chris Bausch and Fred Strong dissented.
The city staff clarified the changes to the parking program will not take effect until new signage to reflect the changes are implemented, likely not until the start of next year.
