(7/10) Town Planner Zach Gulden presented highlights to the town’s proposed five-year parking plan and cost increase changes made since May.

Top of the list is the town’s plan to work with engineers to create a parking concept design for 101 South Seton Avenue, Gulden said. Property owner Dr. Timothy Bringardner has expressed interest in potentially selling the property, according to Gulden. The property is estimated to hold 50-60 parking spots and is only one block away from the main square, "In our opinion, it’s a perfect location for a parking lot," he said.

Upon research it was discovered the town could purchase and demolish the property with a Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development strategic demolition grant. "So that would save the town a significant cost," he said.

More information about the parking concept plan is expected to be brought before the council at a later date.

The plan’s total estimated costs are up from $153,348 to $172,876 mainly due to increased prices for new parking poles and bases. The total does not include installation costs or costs for the new municipal parking lot .

There will be no loss of old school charm, as the new parking meters have the same look as the current meters "They are just modernized with the digital component," Willets said.

The town’s current meters are fragile and are so outdated, the parts no longer exist and can no longer be fixed. The new meters will also be much easier to calibrate, Gulden said.

Also at the its July 11 meeting, the Town Council tabled updates to the parking fees and fines policy.

"Ultimately it is going to come down to the five of us (the Town Council) figuring out in the code how do we change it so that it reads the way we would like to see, so that the town can then enforce what we would like to see as well as what the citizens would like to see," Commissioner TJ Burns said.

The tabled policy would have revised the Town’s parking meter fees, permits, and fines structure, which have not been reviewed since 2018. Meter bag permits and parking meter fees would gradually have been increased from 2023 to 2027 in order to help fund various parking upgrades throughout the Town.

The proposed parking meter fee structure called for parking fees to increase from 10 cents for 24 minutes to 25 cents per hour in 2023, to 50 cents per hour in 2025, 75 cents per hour in 2026 and to $1 an hour in 2027.

In related business, the council also rejected a motion to update the town’s parking ordinance to allow parking fees and fines to be paid by credit card via a third-party vendor. The ordinance would have also changed the parking meter hours of operation to 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and would authorize parking boots.

Commissioner TJ Burns and Council President Tim O’Donnell voted in favor while Commissioners Frank Davis and Joseph Ritz voted against, with Vice President Clifford Sweeny absent.

Davis explained his vote as speaking on behalf of local business owners who are not be in favor of the changes. Davis expressed frustration at the parking meters not being business friendly. Davis said current meters were working against business owners whose customers must have parking meter payments in quarters at the forefront of their mind as they shop.

"It is hard enough to get people downtown to start with," he said, noting several businesses are paying the parking tickets given to customers if they are ticketed while inside their stores. Davis urged common sense to be utilized before issuing tickets during the height of business hours.