Uniontown council tables suspension of downtown parking enforcement
UNIONTOWN — At its regular monthly meeting Wednesday, city council members and other meeting attendees engaged in a lengthy, impassioned discussion of possible changes to downtown parking enforcement and how the city might encourage downtown development despite limited finances.
In response to a downtown business owner’s complaint about metered parking discouraging those in the city from giving his establishment their patronage, Councilman and Director of Accounts and Finances Jared Billy said that from June through August 2016, the city generated $10,000 in revenue from off-street metered parking enforcement for the city, adding that that revenue is what offsets property tax for city residents.
“I want to help out small business, but at the same time, I have a responsibility to the people that elected me, which is the residents,” Billy said. “My responsibility is to try to find the most effective way to be efficient … If we get rid of parking, then we’re going to have to raise taxes.”
In a 4-1 vote, council opted to table a motion by Councilman Ron Metros to suspend all metered parking enforcement within an eight-block area downtown for 90 days to gauge how different parking enforcement may benefit downtown business and promote commerce within the affected areas.
Metros cast the lone vote against tabling his own motion. Mayor Bernie Kasievich motioned to table so that council could have more time to review the city’s parking revenue numbers. Councilman Blair Jones seconded Kasievich’s motion.
The area in which parking enforcement would have been suspended for 90 days began at the intersection of Penn Street and Gallatin Avenue, then south along Gallatin Avenue to the intersection of Gallatin Avenue and Church Street, then west along Church Street to the intersection of Church Street and Morgantown Street, then north along Morgantown Street to the intersection of Morgantown Street and Penn Street, then Penn Street to Gallatin Avenue.
Metros said that during the proposed period, those areas would offer free two-hour parking and a $50 ticket for parking beyond that amount of time.
Later, Metros added that Uniontown business owners John Ptak and Steve Neubauer were in favor of his motion and even agreed to try to work on encouraging their employees to use the city parking garages so that streets remain open for customers.
“You’re going to lose upwards of $12,000 in these three months,” Billy predicted in opposing Metros’ motion, later adding that redevelopment, not jobs, would attract more residents to Uniontown since he said that people are moving to the city for residential neighborhoods, not jobs.
“My question is simple,” Metros said. “Do you want to encourage business to come into this town or would you rather just everybody say, ‘The hell with it,’ and go to the mall?”
Kasievich said that council members needed to tweak Metros’ plan to something that works financially for the city and also for its businesspeople.
“I don’t think any of us are 100 percent clear on how to do that,” Kasievich said.
In other business, council authorized advertising to seek bids for an update of the city’s comprehensive plan, which was last updated in 2003.
“We need this,” Metros said. “No doubt about it.”
Billy said he suspected the lack of a recent comprehensive plan had hurt the city in its quest for grants, and Kasievich said someone who works at the state level said one of the main criteria they consider is whether an applicant has a comprehensive plan.
Comprehensive plans are guiding documents for a community incorporating priority issues covering topics such as housing, parks and recreation, transportation and natural resource preservation.