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September 13, 2006
PARKING REVENUES SHOULD BE USED ONLY FOR MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS OF PARKING FACILITIES
The City Council should be complimented for finally deciding to return to the Parking Revenue Fund approximately $400,000 for the property that the City gave to the Boys and Girls Club several years ago. The property was originally purchased, many years ago, with funds from the Parking Revenue Fund, but was not returned until this year. Fortunately, the City has also included the interest that the fund would have earned in the intervening years.
In the nineties the Council amended the provisions relating to the use of the Parking Revenue Fund to include the use of the funds for transit and bicycle facilities, thereby reducing the funds available for parking facilities. Every time there is discussion about building additional multistory parking facilities, the Council keeps telling the public “there isn’t enough money to pay for the parking structure(s)�. Certainly, if used for its original purpose, the Parking Revenue Fund would substantially contribute towards any future facilities.
The City and County, from funds they receive from the State and Federal Government, are already subsidizing each public transit ride to the tune of approximately $5.00/ride. The City should not to be “stealing� from the Parking Revenue Fund to further subsidize public transit.
As to subsidizing bicycle facilities, the City ought to enforce its bicycle annual fee and use those fees for whatever the City wants to do for bicycle users. It’s my understanding that there are approximately 10,000 or more bicycle ridden in the City and only several hundred are properly licensed. Go to it City!!!
There is an absolute need for additional parking facilities in the central core of Downtown Chico if the City wants to see new and remodeled buildings built in the revitalized area. The parking needs to precede the private investments since most new and remodeled buildings can’t afford to build the required parking on the expensive core area property. Nor does single tier parking demonstrate responsible land use !
Posted by Fred at 11:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack