Erie City Council signs off on changes which double metered parking fines
The initial fine for an unpaid metered parking ticket in the city of Erie is rising to $30.
Erie City Council on Wednesday unanimously approved amending a city ordinance that sets the fine amounts for metered and non-metered parking violations citywide.
Councilman Michael Keys suggested the amendments, which now set metered and non-metered violations at $30 for the first 30 days, $60 if paid between 31 and 60 days of issuance, and $90 if paid after 90 days.
Keys said he sought to slash some maximum parking fines, and give both metered and nonmetered parking violations the same penalty progression, in large part to give city residents with overdue non-metered fines more time to pay their tickets.
Non-metered violations include parking in front of a stop sign or fire hydrant; parking on the sidewalk; violations of summer/winter parking regulations, and parking in handicapped spaces.
Metered parking fines now cost $15 if paid within 10 days of issuance; $25 if paid between 11 and 30 days of issuance; $100 if paid between 31 to 90 days of issuance, and $135 if paid after 90 days.
Non-metered parking violations are $30 if paid within 10 days of issuance; $40 if paid between 11 and 30 days of issuance; $100 if paid between 31 and 90 days of issuance, and $135 if paid after 90 days.
The parking fine changes will take effect in 20 days, or on Nov. 22.
Prior coverage:Erie City Council to talk overdue parking fines as part of budget deliberations
Parking fine changes
Keys said many of the affected residents are those who must use on-street parking. He called the fine changes a "compromise that will bring some fines down and some fines up a little and give people more time to pay."
"The thought behind this was to slow down the escalation and to give people more time to pay their fines," Keys said, adding that significant fines for off-street parking are a financial burden for many city residents.
Mayor Joe Schember's administration did not support the proposal. Renee Lamis, Schember's chief of staff, wanted City Council to study the issue further and get more input from residents and businesses before signing off on a 100% increase in initial non-metered parking fines.
City Councilman Chuck Nelson, who helped Keys with the proposal, said the increase for initial metered parking fines was a trade-off to keep the proposal revenue-neutral.
The city is expected to collect roughly $1.4 million in parking fines in 2023, according to the budget proposal Schember unveiled on Oct. 19.
City budget:New stormwater fee approved as City Council gets 2023 budget plan, with trash/sewer fee hikes
The new fine structure, Nelson said, will still bring in $1.4 million in 2023, an estimate the city's acting finance director, Lisa Gomersall, agreed with.
Some city residents struggle to pay off-street parking fines under the existing penalty structure, Nelson said. He also pointed out that other Pennsylvania cities have initial metered parking penalties that exceed $30.
Nelson mentioned Reading, in Berks County, as an example. According to the Reading Parking Authority, initial metered parking tickets in that city are $45.
Kevin Flowers:A proposal to end free night parking in downtown Erie is 'pretty dead,' for now
"This will normalize between metered and non-metered parking so city residents aren’t at a disadvantage," Nelson said. "It will also ensure that our residents, especially those on fixed incomes, have more time to pay the bill."
The Erie Parking Authority handles enforcement of on-street and metered parking for the city, which gets all parking fine revenues that are collected.
Parking meters within city limits are in operation Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Metered parking is free all day on Sundays.
Christopher Friday, the Parking Authority's executive director, could not be reached for comment.
Pushback, and a parking permit program?
City Council approved the previous parking fine structures in 2019, at Schember’s urging, which boosted maximum parking fines significantly.
The increases were recommended by an Illinois collection agency, Municipal Collections of America, to help Erie better collect parking fines and try to recoup a portion of roughly $2.3 million in unpaid parking fines.
Inside the numbers: Erie’s parking fine problem
The firm suggested the increases because it felt the city’s fine structure was not stiff enough to motivate people to pay on time.
Lamis said the fine structure is working, and that increasing initial metered parking fines to $30 could hurt some downtown businesses.
City Council President Liz Allen said city officials should explore a suggestion by Councilman Mel Witherspoon that would establish a permit program for city residents who don’t have access to off-street parking.
Consultant:Boost delinquent Erie parking fines to $100 after 30 days
Budget talks
In other business, City Council tabled a resolution by Councilman Ed Brzezinski that called for an across-the-board 5% cut to Schember's $98.2 million general fund budget proposal for 2023.
The budget plan includes garbage and sewer fee increases expected to collectively generate about $1.8 million for the city.
Allen and Keys both supported tabling Brzezinski's resolution because council has yet to begin budget deliberations. However, Brzezinski said he's convinced that City Council can find substantial cuts within the spending plan.
City Council has until Dec. 31 to pass a budget.
Contact Kevin Flowers at kflowers@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ETNflowers.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie parking meter fines to double after City Council OKs changes