HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/7/2023 Item 6a, Rowley
From:Sandra Rowley <
To:E-mail Council Website; Stewart, Erica A; Marx, Jan; Pease, Andy; Francis, Emily;
Shoresman, Michelle
Cc:Johnson, Derek; Horn, Matt
Subject:Item 6a, Parking Program Update and Parking Rate Study
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Dear Mayor Stewart and Members of the Council,
I have a problem with the way the City views the funds they manage.
Reference Tribune article, November 4, 2023, titled "SLO residents and businesses are irate about
downtown parking. What can be done about it?"
Several quotes from Public Works Director Matt Horn are included. The most troubling was:
"At its meeting Tuesday, the City Council has a number of options to choose from to help ease the pain on
local residents and businesses, Horn said, including subsidizing the hour of free parking at all structures,
reducing daily rates in structures, subsidizing free parking on Sundays or another day of the week or
adjusting paid parking times." (emphasis added)
The City receives its revenue from rate-payers, taxpayers, fees and fines. The City does not generate
revenue, unless you consider growth of or dividends from investments - but even that is based on funds
obtained from rate-payers, taxpayers, fees and fines. The City is the custodian, not the generator, of the
funds it uses. The City would not be and could not be "subsidizing" an hour of free parking in the parking
structures or free Sunday parking. Instead it is the rate-payers getting a pause from providing revenue to
the City.
Please consider: 1) The downtown is an important revenue source for the City. Proprietors know what
affects their businesses and their comments and concerns should not be dismissed. 2) Residents, who are
routinely encouraged to shop local, know what they are willing to tolerate before deciding too go
elsewhere. 3) This seems to be the time to listen to both groups.
Sincerely, Sandra Rowley
SLO Resident
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