Evanston residents may soon pay more for parking tickets now that the Parking Committee has voted to recommend increasing fines in an effort to raise revenue.
But the committee selected specific fines to raise and tossed out City Manager Roger Crum’s proposal to raise fines on expired meters. Instead, the committee recommended on Wednesday night increases between $5 and $20 on tickets for violations such as parking in an alley and not having proper registration.
“We just tried to determine the difference between an active and a passive parking violation,” said Ald. Steven Bernstein (4th).
Fines on expired meters are accidental violations that should stay at $10, Bernstein said. Crum recommended raising this to $20 to help counteract the nearly $4 million budget deficit. The proposed 2002-03 budget notes that Chicago charges at least $30 for this violation.
Although the committee decided not to adopt Crum’s proposal, city staff expect the five proposals the Parking Committee did recommend to raise $78,000 more than the $400,000 Crum expected, said Jean Baucom, parking system manager.
Bernstein said the city’s budget deficit prompted this proposal, and he hopes the extra money will be able to save a program that would otherwise be cut.
Fine increases also will be beneficial to business, said Troy Thiel, Evanston Small Business Association director and Parking Committee member. The only one that would have concerned him was the increase in parking meter fees.
“That’s the one that is risky to business,” Thiel said.
Raising fines for drivers who continually feed meters past the two-hour time limit will benefit business the most, Thiel said. Daytime workers who engage in this practice hurt businesses by monopolizing short-term parking.
“It validates and recognizes the fact that this is an important issue,” Thiel said.
This problem is likely to worsen when the Sherman Garage between Church and Davis streets closes to begin construction of the Sherman Plaza, Thiel said. He said he hopes a more substantial fine will provide an incentive for the users of the 660-space garage to relocate to the Maple Street Garage instead of parking at downtown meters during this construction.
The proposal must pass the Administration and Public Works Committee and then City Council, both of which meet Monday.
The committee also considered lengthening the hours of meter operation to generate more revenue but did not make a decision. Instead it planned a meeting between the committee and members of the business community for Feb. 5.
Thiel said he is uncertain if he supports changing the operation times. He said he has concerns with people choosing to stay away from downtown Evanston to avoid paying the fees.
“(The change) has potential damages that need to be investigated,” Thiel said.
In a final effort to find new sources of revenue, the committee also began preliminary discussion of selling some of the city’s parking lots, which would add property to the tax rolls. The committee discussed the possibility of changing some underused lots into developments and changing others to multi-level parking.
While there are two developers interested, the project is still in an early stage.
“I’m not sure the reality of (the project) is going to happen anytime soon,” Thiel said.
