City Commission Raises Parking Fees, Presents Budget

Changes are coming to downtown Royal Oak, including increasing parking fees in the Central Business District to $1 an hour and installing new credit-card capable meters in high-use areas.

Rates outside of the Central Business District will remain the same as well as in surface lots and structures. The rate set for outside of the main downtown area is 50 cents per hour and city parking structures offer the first two hours free.

City Commission members supported the changes during their regular Monday night meeting at .

“We really don’t need to charge a dollar an hour,” business owner Laura Harrison said before the vote at the beginning of the meeting. Harrison owns the on West Sixth at Washington. She said the downtown businesses are still clawing their way through this bad economy and she didn’t want to see shoppers discouraged by higher parking fees to just stop in. Harrison said most daytime shoppers are destination shoppers, meaning they come specifically to grab something from a store and then leave the area.

“Please consider the customers that are down here during the day,” she said.

City Manager Donald Johnson said the on-street, $1-per-hour meters are intended not to overcharge shoppers, but rather to encourage higher turnover in the high-use areas to create more parking availability and promote long-term parkers, such as local workers, to use surface lots and structures.

Commission members also authorized the purchase of 300 credit-card meters. An installation date has not been set. The meters were tested in a , and placed in high-use areas, such as outside  on Washington. The cost of the meters, including setting them up, is $160,500.

The average credit meter transaction is $1.20 compared with 60 cents for coin meters,  Director of Public Services Greg Rassel said.

City Commissioner Charles Semchena asked if fewer parking tickets would be written as a result of installing credit card-capable parking meters. Rassel said it could be argued fewer tickets would be written if people have the capability to charge the maximum time; however, patrons would still need to return after the two-hour limit.

Johnson said anyone who thinks the city writes tickets for the money is wrong.

In other City Commission news from the Monday regular meeting:

• Special event permits were approved by the commission, including for Fanatic U to host Woodward Dream Cruise sales events, the Alumni 5K Fun Run & 1Mile Walk on June 25, Emagine Royal Oak and Star Lanes for skytracker light during its May 13-14 grand opening, an outdoor parking lot sale at  on May 13-15, and the Oak Apple Run on June 4. The 34^th annual Oak Apple run will require closing Fourth Street from Washington to Campbell, Main Street from 11 Mile to Fifth Street, Washington from Fourth Street to Catalpa, Park Street west of Washington, Farnum east from West Street to Maxwell, Maxwell from Farnum to Catalpa, Catalpa from Hilldale to Washington, Pleasant south of Catalpa, Upton to Marywood, Austin to Washington and all intersecting streets on June 4. The event will take place from 5:30-11 a.m. with cleanup finished by 11:30 a.m.

• Members of the commission unanimously approved three Liquor Control Commission committee recommendations: a liquor license for the , 3417 Don Soper Dr.; extending hours to 9 a.m.- 2 a.m. seven days a week for , 1214 S. Main; and allowing , 30919 Woodward Ave., to open early for special events with prior approval by the police chief.

• Commissioners rejected an agreement between the city of Royal Oak and Doug Fresard to use Fresard's north lot on Main Street free of charge for parking on a temporary basis. According to city documents, “It appears there is a demand from several businesses in the north main area for parking on a daily basis, as well as a need by North Main Condo residents who must be relocated for garage repairs.” The city would have used the lot on a permit-only basis through Labor Day 2011 for businesses on 11 Mile Road seeking more parking options for employees and condo owners during their parking structure renovation. City officials anticipated the lot would generate $1,500-2,000 a month and the cost to establish the lot would be about $400. Commissioner Jim Rasor was in favor of the agreement, urging commission members to reconsider. Other commissioners felt is wasn't government's place to orchestrate parking arrangements. Mayor Jim Ellison said he brought it before the commission as a good-faith gesture to help with parking needs in the city.

• Commission members approved the first reading of an ordinance requiring parking lot operators to apply for a specific permit to operate a lot during the Arts, Beats & Eats festival over Labor Day weekend. Current city code requires anyone maintaining a paid parking lot to obtain a license only before opening for business. Commissioner Jim Rasor recused himself from the vote, despite a spirited discussion with City Attorney Dave Gillam on whether or not he had a conflict of interest because he used his business lot for profit parking during the festival. Commissioner Patricia Capello also voted no, saying she didn’t feel comfortable entering into an agreement in which the city would be regulating businesses in a matter that Royal Oak itself profits from during the festival.

• The city of Royal Oak's 2011-13 budget was received by City Commission members Monday night. According to city documents, “The Recommended Budget was developed by balancing severe fiscal constraints with goals and objectives from City Commission’s (fiscal) strategic planning sessions.” Commission members will discuss the budget during its first presentation  at 6 p.m. Thursday. Subsequent meetings  are scheduled for May 18 and 19. A public hearing and budget adoption is set for 7:30 p.m. June 6. Copies of the budget are now available at the Royal Oak Public Library and on the city’s website.