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The downtown parking meter rate will go from 50 cents to $1 an hour, and parking ticket fines will increase from $3 to $10.
The new rate and fines will not take effect until new, electronic pay stations that accept cash, debit cards and credit cards are installed. City staff have ordered the pay stations, which cost a total of about $151,000, and will replace a majority of the existing meters. The pay stations are expected to arrive in about eight weeks, staff said at Tuesday's council meeting.
More than 30 people attended the meeting, but most of those who spoke focused on a proposal to expand enforcement hours, a measure council said it wants to study further before scheduling a final vote. Passed in a preliminary vote last month, the proposal recommends pushing parking enforcement from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The parking changes were designed to create more turnover in prime spots along Bay Street and surrounding corridors, council members have said. Many businesses have complained that downtown employees --especially those working the evening shift -- park in front of stores and stay there all night, leaving few spaces for customers.
About eight people said Tuesday increasing rates and fines without the expanded enforcement hours won't be effective. Employees could still come in for a shift at 3:30 or 4 p.m. and only have to pay about $2 to park all evening, some said.
"Just doing part of the plan is not going to work," said Neil Lipsitz, owner of Lipsitz Shoes on Bay Street.
Representatives from Main Street Beaufort, USA, an organization representing downtown merchants, and the city's Redevelopment Commission agreed.
Council created a task force Tuesday that will include representatives of those two organizations, businesses, employees and citizens to study the effects of the proposed changes and other parking-related issues.
Three people spoke against expanding enforcement hours, at least two of whom said they owned downtown businesses and that the change would hurt their sales.
Councilman Mike Sutton called the issue "strictly an employer-employee" problem and said after speaking with numerous customers, businesses and employees about the proposal, he has "not found anything in my heart to tell me this is the right thing to do."
Lanier Parking Solutions, known locally as Park Beaufort, has leased the parking lot behind the BB&T on Port Republic Street, now calledPort Republic Square. The company is now offering downtown employees $15 monthly parking passes good from 3:30 p.m. to 9 a.m. daily. Anyone can park in the lot for $3 per day or $2 from 3:30 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Two downtown employees who told council they worked evening shifts at Breakwater Restaurant & Bar on Carteret Street said they worry about safety -- a designated place to park might allow criminals to prey on them more easily.
City manager Scott Dadson said there is money available for capital improvements to lighting and other safety features downtown, which could include increased police presence. Those and other safety details will likely will be discussed at a workshop next week, he said.
"If we have employee buy in on using the Port Republic Square lot, we will absolutely address safety concerns," Councilman Mike McFee said after the meeting. "We would address the downtown safety concerns regardless of if this passes or not."
