By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
OLEAN — A proposed QR code parking program for many Downtown Olean streets was defeated 3-2 by the Olean Common Council Tuesday.
Voting against the plan for QR code parking, which requires use of a smartphone, were Lawrence Bennion Jr., R-Ward 1; Sonya McCall, D-Ward 4 and David Anastasia, D-Ward 7.
Council President Vernon Robinson Jr., and new Alderman Joe Keary, R-Ward 2, voted to proceed with the QR code-based parking program. Alderwoman Jennifer Forney, R-Ward 3, and Alderman John Crawford, D-Ward 6, were absent.
The QR code parking program would have ended free parking which was established when the city proceeded with the reconstruction of North Union Street and Walkable Olean and pulled out all the parking meters.
The city continues to lease parking spaces to several businesses and individuals in several city parking lots.
Before the vote Mayor Bill Aiello listed streets that would be included: North Union Street, Laurens and Hamilton streets; South Union Street to Henley, East State Street to the bridge and West State Street to Seventh Street.
In addition, the mayor said, the War Veterans Park parking lot would be QR code parking enabled for events only. The hourly fee would be $1 after a two-hour
McCall, who is chairman of the council’s Finance Committee, said she was opposed because there are plenty of parking spots and merchants don’t need any excuses for people not to shop downtown.
Plans had called for hiring a policeman to enforce the proposed parking program. The cost of enforcement would have been recouped from parking fees and fines that added up to just over $100,000.
Businesses had “significant concerns” about implementing a paid parking plan after several years of free parking, McCall said. When she counted the number of open parking spots only about 40% were occupied, she said.
“I know it creates a hole in our budget” but it’s not worth it, McCall said.
Robinson, who had proposed extending the QR code parking to the War Veterans Park parking lot, said he understood that cost analysis did not justify it, but finds it hard to give something away for free.
“It’s not a money grab,” Robinson said. He had thought the parking program would net the city more than $20,000. He said he understood business owners’ complaints, but added, “If you have something people want, they will come.”
Anastasia said he could support the parking plan if it netted the city $100,000 and eased pressure to raise property taxes. “But if it’s only $20,000 and it potentially hurts merchants,” he would vote against it. The parking plan could also impact sales tax receipts, he said.
Keary, who was appointed earlier this month to the Ward 2 seat to succeed Alderman Jason Panus after he resigned, said he didn’t think the new plan would keep people from shopping in the city.
“I don’t think it’s worth it,” said Bennion, signaling his no vote for the parking plan.
The 3-2 vote against the parking plan could have easily been a 4-3 vote in favor had Crawford, who favored the QR code parking plan and Forney, who had not publicly committed to the plan, had attended the meeting.
The council voted to spend $15,000 to design a salt shed foundation to hold the frame and hardware for a new salt shed to replace the one outside the City Garage that is structurally unsound and needs to be replaced. The city had planned to erect the new salt shed at the Front Street lot.
Also, the aldermen agreed to reassign the city’s tree removal contract from Great Lakes Tree Service to Decker Tree Service due to illness of the Great Lakes owner.
Public Works Director James Sprague said the first trees due to be cut down are about 10 ash trees that are on a list of 60 dead ash trees that need to be addressed. He said he’d look into how much was left in the tree removal account and how many dead and diseased trees could be addressed.
________________________________
All Rights Reserved. Star News LLC. Eric M. Firkel.
