JACKSON, Wyo. — On Monday, Dec. 2, Town Councilors unanimously approved moving ahead with a draft contract to impose an hourly fee structure and the use of license plate recognition (LPR) technology at the Millward/Simpson Parking Garage.
The Parking Access Revenue Control System (PARCS) ordinance, if adopted, would enforce a parking fee of $2 per hour from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Parking would remain free from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. to allow employees with varying shift times to use the garage during their workday.
Currently, vehicles can park in the garage for up to 48 hours for free, year round.
If the new parking fee is implemented, businesses can develop a reduced price parking option for special events at the Center For The Arts, per the staff report. Additionally, parking fees will not apply to four affordable housing properties on Pearl Ave.
According to the Town, commercial and personal vehicle storage in the parking garage are not among the identified objectives of the 2019 Downtown Parking Management Plan.
At the March 18 Town Council workshop, staff described a number of unintended uses of the parking garage that prompted the new parking regulations. The staff report states that rental car companies and private individuals used the parking garage to store their vehicles. The report also noted that overnight campers relieved themselves in the garage when restrooms were locked, and criminal activity including drug sales and prostitution occurred inside the garage at night.
According to Town Council, LPR technology will help reduce Jackson Police Department enforcement time, encourage turnover and improve parking use.
“The license plate recognizer can look at vehicles abusing the situation,” Councilwoman Jessica Sell Chambers said.
According to Jackson Public Works Regional Transportation Planning Administrator Charlotte Frei, “we will have a maximum stay at the garage for 28 days, and then vehicles will be ticketed and towed.”
Town Councilor Jim Rooks said the new fee structure will assist with parking capacity management.
“The reality of people living in their cars wasn’t sustainable, so we are on the right track,” Rooks said. “The garage wasn’t built to solve everyone’s parking problems. With only charging $2 an hour, I’m not sure that this will deter condominium and business owners.”
During the public comment period, community member Margi Lynch urged the Town Councilors to think of those in Jackson who don’t have residential parking.
“For people who don’t have dedicated parking in town, the availability of that garage is critical,” Lynch said. “You want to encourage people to get their vehicles off the street at night and use the garage, so maybe you could give further thought to the time window.”
Town Council agreed to move the 9 p.m. free parking cut-off to 10 p.m. to better accommodate restaurant workers in Jackson. Councilor Arne Jorgensen said that he looks forward to acquiring future data on how many people park on the streets.
Staff proposed implementing the fee structure for a nine to 12 month period to review vehicle use and revenue information, with the possibility of adjusting the parking rate.
According to Public Works, the earliest date that the Town would receive the PARCS equipment would be this March. A draft contract for the fee structure and LPR technology will be presented at an upcoming Town Council meeting. A date for the Council to receive public comment has yet to be announced.
