CALDWELL, Idaho — The city of Caldwell is ready to discuss parking meters, in depth.
<<Leer en Español>>
After months of complaints, downtown businesses continue to push for the city to remove the parking meters.
"We don't want to do a knee jerk reaction of something that's not going to be beneficial to the downtown," Mayor Jarom Wagoner told KTVB Monday afternoon
Monday night is a chance for citizens to bring all their opinions, and questions for the city. The city is holding a special meeting, to talk about everything parking meters.
Topics include free parking times and spots, changes from multi-space meters to single space meters, and better signage.
To view the full meeting agenda, visit https://www.cityofcaldwell.org/home/showpublisheddocument/24552/638596560034470000
"We figured we start with these, get the input from that, and then get direction from council on those items and any others that they wish to bring forward," Wagoner said.
Wagoner will re-propose his July proposal, which would allow parking to be free for the first 30 minutes Monday through Friday, instead of the first 15 minutes... and make Saturday and Sunday both full free parking days.
Council members can also propose other ideas Monday night.
"Some council members want to expand that even more." Wagoner said.
But the big question remains... is city considering removing the meters?
"As far as total removal of the parking meters, it's always a possibility in regard to what the council decides on that, but just looking at what is the best thing to do," Wagoner said.
It would be a costly decision, he added.
"There is a large initial cost that the expected, expectation was to recoup that over a few years... three to five years to have that fully recouped," Wagoner said. "So obviously, if you take them out after three months, then that's going to change that quite a bit."
When asked for exact figures, Wagoner said he hasn't looked at what that would cost exactly.
But removing the meters is not off the table.
"Is this something that just didn't work and we need to bite the bullet and move on, or is it something that we need to continue to try to move forward and see if it starts to improve in the downtown?" Wagoner asked.