The city of St. Joseph is making more updates to the parking rules in downtown St. Joseph, but so far, the changes aren’t calming outrage over the system.
“Residents now have free parking in all of the lots in the downtown. So all City of St. Joseph residents can park for free in the lots in the downtown.” — Emily Hackworth, City Manager.
After weeks of mostly negative feedback from residents and business owners (and another two hours of heated comments today), the City Commission today approved changes put forth by the Parking Subgroup to make city-owned lot parking in the downtown free to residents. They also adjusted the hours so that all paid parking ends each day at 5 pm instead of 9 pm.
At the special meeting, Commissioners also adjusted the paid parking calendar window overall to start the Friday before Memorial Day and end on Labor Day. Despite the changes, residents and business owners said it wasn’t enough. Nancy Maryniak, owner of Revive Spa said she’s in danger of losing everything because of the drop in customer traffic.
“In the last 21 days, my life has gone from having a decent income with no pay date in sight, I did not pay myself in May, I don’t expect to get paid in June, I went from working 24 hours a week with help to 50 hours a week and at least half of that time I am alone. I had five spa consultants, I now have two. Three jobs have been lost and my remaining staff is stressed and scared,” said Maryniak.
The more than two hours of public comment came from a number of stakeholders. Varnum Law Firm Attorney Scott Dienes representing several downtown businesses suggested the city shelve the whole paid parking system and go back to the drawing board.
“I suggest you suspend the regulations and give us an opportunity to work with you to incorporate some of the issues that have been raised and will be raised today and do this incorporate some of the issues that have been raised and will be raised today and do this in a thoughtful way rather than kind of this haphazard onesie twosie solution,” said Dienes.
Longtime Chamber director and Moody on the Market founder/publisher Pat Moody said the parking rules, as implemented, are killing the community.
“Obviously it isn’t working to the degree that you thought it was going to. It’s pissed off a lot of people and it has totally, it’s beginning to totally destroy the nature of what this community is and has been for so many, many years,” said Moody.
During the public comment, Commissioner Michael Sarola seemed sympathetic to the numerous concerns raised by community members. Just ahead of the city commission’s vote, he indicated he was having a hard time not suspending the whole program. In the end, all four commissioners who were present, Michele Binkley, Tess Ulrey, Michael Fernandez, and Sarola, voted to update the parking rules.
“We understand that the actions taken have pushed people away from St. Joe, and we are taking these actions to try to bring them back,” said Sarola.
Effective immediately, the city-owned lots are free for city residents who register with the city and paid parking enforcement ends daily at 5 pm. On-street parking west of Main St. will remain paid for all users, including residents. The city will post policy updates on their website on how to register for the free resident parking in the coming days. It is expected to be similar to the citizen registration for free parking in St. Joseph City Parks.
