North Adams Moves to Institute Event Parking Fees
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council moved an ordinance forward that would allow the city to charge event-goers for the use of public parking lots.
The ordinance sets a $40-a-day parking fee for the St. Anthony Municipal Parking Lot and other public lots, largely for high-traffic event days at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. This also was advised by the Traffic Commission.
Mayor Jennifer Macksey requested it be returned by the first meeting in September prior to the Freshgrass Festival.
This was the pilot year for trying this parking process, she said, and it had been used during the Solid Sound Festival in the spring that pulled in more than $11,000 for the city.
"These are non-city sponsored events that are tying up a lot of city resources, and this is a way to generate some money to put back into our Public Safety Department, and also to have some order in these public lots which were lacking," said the mayor.
Councilors, however, wanted that further delineation of events within the ordinance.
"The concern I have is part of this may require what the definition of a large event is," said Councilor Keith Bona. "Does that give the city discretion to decide which large events to charge for and which large events not to because the Fall Foliage Parade and the Eagle Street Beach Party, those also fill up parking lots."
He didn't want to see down the road that someone was saying the city was discriminating against certain events.
President Lisa Blackmer thought it should to go to committee along with an opinion from the city solicitor.
The mayor noted that the council wanted her office to use its discretion regarding taxicab fares a few weeks ago but felt that this was much more clear cut on whether they were talking about a city event or non-city event.
Blackmer said it had been one or two events a year that drew large crowds but that has increased over the years. Mass MoCA had a concert a couple weeks ago that filled parking lots and streets around the downtown.
To fast track the ordinance, she suggested it be passed to a second reading but also be referred to the Public Safety Committee with additional language to address which types of events.
"If there's any major changes, then we would have to republish," Blackmer said. "If there's no major changes, we wouldn't have to."
Councilor Ashley Shade rescinded her motion to refer and then motioned to amend the language to include "at the discretion of the mayor" for certain non-city events and pass to a second reading and refer to Public Safety.
Councilor Wayne Wilkinson asked how the administration would ensure that residents and businesses would have a place to park during these outside events.
"All of the people who currently have permits will have a reserved space. They need a permit number or their license plate number on them," Macksey said. "Center Street has really gotten away from us and it's gotten away from prior administrations and this is our attempt to try to streamline that and have a [standard operating procedure] around how we deal with big events in the city."
Those not allowed in the spots would get ticketed and towed, she said, and the St. Anthony lot would continue to accommodate the farmers' market on Saturday.
Blackmer asked that the signs in the Center Street lot be covered during these periods lest they confuse motorists into thinking they could park there without consequence.
The Public Safety Committee will review the ordinance before its final passage.
The council also referred to the Public Safety Committee an ordinance to prohibit parking on the east side of Central Avenue on the recommendation of the Traffic Commission. https://www.iberkshires.com/story/68932/North-Adams-Traffic-Commission-Advises-Parking-Fees-After-Solid-Sound-Success.html?source=most_read
In other business, the council:
• Confirmed the appointment of Jennifer Dunning to the Windsor Lake Recreation Commission for a term to expire April 1, 2025, and added Nancy Canales, Gene Carlson, Justyna Carlson, Marissa Carlson and Robin Martin to the list of election inspectors.
• Referred a request from the mayor for a change in fees and permit prices at the transfer station to Public Services, with the expectation it will be passed on to the Finance Committee. The mayor asked that the changes go into effect on Nov. 1.
• Referred a requested change in ordinance on setting the age of police officers to 21 and allowing them to live within 25 miles of the city to the Public Safety Committee. The mayor and Police Chief Jason Wood are requesting this change to aid in recruiting officers.
• Accepted a letter from the Public Arts Commission regarding the potential for using artistic license on streets and crosswalks without violating federal marking standards.
• Heard a proclamation from Macksey declaring September as Childhood Cancer Awareness Month with Kathy and Joseph Arabia, founders of the AYJ Fund that supports research and families affected by the rare brain cancer that their daughter Anna Yan Ji died from.
Councilors Jennifer Barbeau and Marie T. Harpin were absent.
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