Apparently they have insatiable appetites.
Did you miss putting more coins in the meter while you were doing your shopping? That could cost you another $3 if the Santa Cruz City Council has its way. At its meeting today, it will vote on whether to increase fines for parking violations by $3. City Council has proven quite skilled at increasing fines. If today’s rate hike passes, it will be the third time in two years parking fines have gone up in Santa Cruz.
Part of the problem, officials say, is reduced revenues because of the depressed economy, but Parking Manager Marlin Granlund says the real culprit is the state. A budget bill trailer recently passed was intended to increase parking fines in order to raise money to build and maintain new courthouses. The city could decide to assume the fee, but that would place a $165,000 strain on the local budget, which is already overburdened.
Granlund is reportedly working on premium parking fees for meters that last as long as eight hours. That way shoppers can make their purchases, get a bite to eat and wander about downtown without having to run back to feed the meter’s endless appetite. That certainly could help local businesses. Read more at Santa Cruz Sentinel.
