Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-09-17 DTPC Packetiliwater THE BIRTHPLACE OF MINNESOTA Downtown Parking Commission Agenda Meeting Date Thursday, September 17, 1998 City Hall Riverview Conference Room (2nd floor) 8:15 a.m. Agenda Items. 1. Update Pay Parking Program. 2. Other business CITY HALL: 216 NORTH FOURTH STILLWATER, MINNESOTA 55082 PHONE: 612-439-6121 MEMORANDUM TO: Paul Schnettler, Impark z_______ FR: Steve Russell, Community Development Director / ; DA: September 3, 1998 RE: Next Downtown Parking Commission Meeting Information The next Downtown Parking Commission meeting is set for September 17, 1998. An item on the agenda will be to review the Downtown Parking Program to date. Would you provide the following information: • • • • • 1998 monthly report for July and August Comparison year to date of 1998 and 1997 activity Status of supervisor working on weekends? Is it continuing or not. Status of payments for lot improvements. Machine operation I would appreciate getting the financial information as soon as possible so I can include it with the agenda. If you have any questions, please call me 430-8821. TO: FAX#: 3(-7/ "" 4/4 y2__ FROM: FAX #: PHONE #: DATE:9 /2—/ PAGES INCLUDING co THIS PAGE: co September12, 1998 Dear Chief Dauffenbach, Today I received a notice that I had not paid my parking violation. Thank you for the reminder. I had intended to pay it immediately upon receipt, but wanted to write a letter of explanation and send it together with the payment. Unfortunately, family and job took precedence and before I knew it, it was buried at the bottom of my desk. While I do appreciate the reminder, I find the late fee quite steep. I am a law abiding citizen. I don't drink and drive, I always wear a seatbelt, I am against private citizens possessing handguns, and I have never been ticketed for illegal parking until I visited Stillwater on August 21, 1998. On that day I had taken my parents who were visiting from Iowa and my brother and wife who were visiting from Phoenix, for a day of sightseeing and shopping in Stillwater. We had a wonderful lunch, my brother bought some antiques and the five of us went on the trolley tour. My relatives commented several times about how Stillwater is so quaint and neat. They really enjoyed their visit to your city. However, when we returned to the van, we were all quite surprised to find a parking ticket. After all, I did not exceed the four hour time limit. We all thought there had been a mistake because I was in the four hour lot and the permit area was against the buildings on the north side of the lot, or so we thought. Even my brother, who had just retired from the City of Phoenix Police Department before he came to Minnesota to visit me, was fooled by the signs in the parking lot. You see, I came in from the south entrance and all of the signs I saw were for four hour permit parking, except for the permit parking on the north end against the buildings. I was driving a van and when it's loaded full of passengers it is sometimes difficult to see when backing up. For that reason and as a courtesy to the other cars behind me, as I parked the van I pulled forward into the space that was now across from my original parking space but still within the same row. Without realizing it, I had crossed over into a permit parking space. I have never been to a city that has half a row free parking and the other half permit parking without signs explaining this. Needless, to say, my husband was not too happy that I received a parking ticket. (He's even more unhappy about me forgetting to pay it!) I tried to explain the misleading signs in the parking lot, but he still wasn't convinced. So I took him to Stillwater and he even admitted that he would have done the same thing. (And by the way, trees are blocking some of your signs in that lot, so my husband was even more understanding!) The following Monday after I received the ticket, I called and talked to someone in your department about the parking signs. I explained that I had never been to a city where a row is divided in half like that. I fully understood the need for permit parking for people who work downtown, however, my point was to make both sides of the row one kind of parking. I feel tricked. Had I entered the lot from the north, I would have seen the permit parking signs for the particular row that I had parked in. I also recommended making a permanent divider separating the two lots. If the city is not willing to do that, then as a courtesy to your visitors, please add to the half of the row that is four hour parking a sign that says "This side only". I should mention that the person I talked to about my ticket suggested that if I thought that I received the ticket in error, I could wait so many days and then plead my case before a judge. I do not get paid when I take off time from work and I'm sure the judge has cases that are much more important than listening to me complain about my parking ticket. All I ask is that you realize that visitors are important to the livelihood of Stillwater and make it a "parking friendly" city. Thank you. Sincerely, Michelle Doble cc: Stillwater Chamber of Commerce Mayor of Stillwater NOTICE OF MEETING ************************************************************************ THE AIPLE PROPERTY AND KOLLINER PARK MASTER PLAN CITY OF STILLWATER, When: Thursday — September 10, 1998 — 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Where: Stillwater City Hall A Public Open House is planned for the evening of Thursday, September 10, 1998 beginning at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the Aiple Property and Kolliner Park Master Plan. At the meeting, a detailed plan of the preferred alternative will be presented. The plan for the Aiple property, a city -owned site, will include trails, picnic areas, riverfront overlooks and an optional St. Croix Visitors Center. Representatives of SRF Consulting Group, Inc., the master planning consultant hired by the City will be present to answer questions and solicit comments before preparing a final version of the plan for Council review later this fall. To date, two opinion surveys have been circulated and two public open houses have been held to receive comment on possible park uses and on preliminary alternatives. The meeting will be held in Council Chambers at Stillwater City Hall, 216 North Fourth Street, Contact Sue Fitzgerald, City Planner, at 430-8822 with any questions. MEMORANDUM TO: Paul Schnettler, Impark "------- FR: Steve Russell, Community Development Director DA: September 3, 1998 RE: Next Downtown Parking Commission Meeting Information The next Downtown Parking Commission meeting is set for September 17, 1998. An item on the agenda will be to review the Downtown Parking Program to date. Would you provide the following information: • 1998 monthly report for July and August • Comparison year to date of 1998 and 1997 activity • Status of supervisor working on weekends? Is it continuing or not. • Status of payments for lot improvements. • Machine operation I would appreciate getting the financial information as soon as possible so I can include it with the agenda. If you have any questions, please call me 430-8821.