tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916367746067142134.post5600000998927184257..comments2023-06-11T09:52:31.370-04:00Comments on Saratogian Newsroom: Leadership needed on paid parkingThe Saratogian City Deskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12483093324074629001noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916367746067142134.post-69997518274443688952009-11-19T06:46:30.185-05:002009-11-19T06:46:30.185-05:00Too bad the companies that manufacture parking con...Too bad the companies that manufacture parking control systems are not required to disclose what funds or gifts they have provided to city leaders.<br /><br />My math skills may not be up to the level of 5th grader, dividing $1,350,000.00 by 365 days = $3698.00 per day. $3698.00/900 spots = $4.00 of paid parking per day per meter.<br /><br />What if not every meter does not have revenue of $4.00 each and every day of the year? Would the the city would not get all the promised money? I'm sure the parking council leaders will get their promised money.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916367746067142134.post-36685685832485517372009-11-18T17:28:12.619-05:002009-11-18T17:28:12.619-05:00Andrew-
You are incredibly and intuitively right ...Andrew-<br /><br />You are incredibly and intuitively right about the flawed membership of our many Committees, especially those focused on Parking.<br /><br />From recent years, you can find six studies of paid parking. The first five included Joe Dalton, often the author of the final report. When Joe was part of the review, the report was ALWAYS the same- "NO Parking, no WAY, no HOW."<br /><br />Only the sixth and most recent Committee concluded that the time may be right to "further investigate" paid parking. THAT Committee was lead by Matt McCabe and Gordon Boyd. For the first time, Joe Dalton was not a member.<br /><br />Long before this economic crisis, I started gathering research and CONTEMPORARY Case Studies of communities not unlike our "unique" City in the Country. I found the websites of the highly-respected experts AND the manufacturers of MODERN meters.<br /><br />As a believer in Open Government, I shared the key websites with the Community and the Council... sites like www.parkingtoday.com.<br /><br />In my research, I learned about an invaluable meeting in Denver, the "International Parking Institute's annual conference May 17-20." Serious INFORMATION...so serious that I wrote to ALL Council members on May 11 and volunteered to pay the airfare for one attendee from City Hall.<br /><br />The Council never responded to me. The community never got to hear my 8 Case Studies, each including an analysis from a local government official, complete with before/after news stories.<br /><br />Judging from today's news story, it looks as if I offered no ideas or news to the Council last night.<br /><br />But while the Council can quietly hit the "mute" button when I rise to bloviate and babble, they listen to every word of Joe Dalton.<br /><br />And in the best tradition of "Open Government," the Council absorbed Joe's wisdom and gave him their solemn, if somewhat secretive unbreakable vow. As Joe wrote--<br /><br />"Now meters are being proposed to solve the city’s financial problems, and the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce board of directors unanimously opposes the plan. Promises made not to meter Broadway or to keep fees low are only good as long as the present council is in place."<br /><br />While this new Council came into office with a lot of promise... the backroom Dalton Deal wasn't the kind of "promise" I had in mind.<br /><br />-Kyle York<br /> Citizen Blowhard, Finder of FactsKyle Yorkhttp://york44.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916367746067142134.post-21755261309081620952009-11-18T10:24:00.291-05:002009-11-18T10:24:00.291-05:00Andrew: Paid parking will also have negative impac...Andrew: Paid parking will also have negative impacts on residents and people who work in Saratoga. Will everyone who works downtown have to pay now too? Or will they be seeking free parking on the many nearby residential streets, thereby displacing people who want to park near their homes? Many Saratogians do not have access to off street parking.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916367746067142134.post-80367734435141203502009-11-18T07:42:05.480-05:002009-11-18T07:42:05.480-05:00I don't know if you've ever seen the "...I don't know if you've ever seen the "life of Brian" by monty python, but it reminds me of the group in the movie that always needs to have a committee discussion before everything, and as a result never gets anything done. We need to have a committee discussion to discuss forming a committee.Trapped in Historyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07826228508668485852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3916367746067142134.post-44014238310758675032009-11-18T07:40:50.830-05:002009-11-18T07:40:50.830-05:00Paid parking is probably not the answer. It was v...Paid parking is probably not the answer. It was very telling that Wilton has developed an entire development plan that looks to benefit from the incoming chip plant. What has the City done to entice/plan for people that are coming? It would be nice if the Council members and deputies would pay 10% of their insurance, they don't pay anything and haven't offered to. Of course the lowest level employees are paying 10%, but the budget problems are their fault anyway.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com