- Video shows City Council on Tuesday night, discussing meters for Downtown Jackson.
- City Council voted unanimously to bring metered parking to Downtown Jackson.
- According to the proposed plan, 47 meters are recommended and will go live July 1, 2025.
"It's free right now, and it's wonderful. It keeps me coming downtown. I can come on a whim," says Jackson neighbor, Jaime Lawrence. However, free parking, downtown, is going away. Tuesday, City Council unanimously voted to install parking pay stations downtown. Troy White, City Engineer, explains at the meeting, "For years, it's been funded with assessments, and in recent years, it's been more contentious, less popular, and it's difficult. What this is offers you an alternative to parking assessments."
I walked around downtown today, and asked 10 neighbors if they'd like to see meters pop up downtown. The results were split, 5 said "Yes" and 5 said "No." Employees as Nostalgia, Ink said that they were for the idea of meters, because of how much the assessments are costing small businesses. Those assessments are how parking maintenance is paid for right now. However, other small businesses, like Farm Sudz, don't want to see meters pop up.
Owner, Erin Valkuchak, says, "I'm against metered parking. We have a lot of older customers who come in. Sometimes they come in really quickly. I don't think they're going to want to put an app on their phone to pay. Some of them are still paying with checks."
The plan recommends installing 47 parking pay stations downtown, here:
"It might help people who want to hang out downtown longer. It could help that. I'm just thinking of my customers and I know my customers that drive up really quickly to run in and run out," continues Valkuchak. Recently, the assessments businesses pay to keep parking free for customers increased by about 25%.
WATCH: Catch up on that raise in assessments
Ward 6 City Councilman, Will Forgrave, explains, "The option isn't, keep things the same or go to metered parking. The option is, go to metered parking or radically increase assessments. Those are the two options we're talking about here."
WATCH: Jackson small businesses discuss their thoughts on parking
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