Oh yes, you can fight city hall and get action, as intense pushback by Calgarians has city council giving a full rethink on plans to charge citizens to park in front of their own homes..Changes to the residential parking permit program, due to become effective on Aug. 1, would see annual fees for street parking in residential neighbourhoods increase to $50 for the first permit, $75 for a second permit, $125 for a third for a single address, plus two visitor permits priced at $75 each..Before council approved the money grab, two single-address permits and visitor permits were free, with a third one priced at $108.90 per year..A petition started by Change.org telling council to reconsider the costs and implementation of the new program was signed by thousands of irate homeowners and now 10 councillors have heard the fury and seen the light..The councillors have signed a motion of notice brought forth by Coun. Andre Cabot to, at the least, remove charges for the first permit at an address where a residential parking permit is required..“Permit holders have provided substantial feedback to indicate the implementation of the approved fee schedule is burdensome given the amount and time frame,” the notice of motion reads..“I do think that everyone should be entitled to at least one spot in front of their homes, regardless of whether you live in the inner city or in the suburbs,” said Chabot in a press scum on Tuesday..“Happy to sign on and support this Notice of Motion,” tweeted Coun. Dan McLean. “I also don’t agree with charging Calgarians to park in front of their homes.”.The motion also directs city administration to “bring back an update on permit uptake, budget implications and recommended future fee structure to support transition to full user pay of the program as part of the 2023 November Business Plan and Budget Adjustments.”.The new charges were recommended by administration and approved by council last fall as a cost recovery option on the parking permit zones..According to the city, it costs $1.5 million each year to operate and enforce the residential parking permit program..Not all city councillors are on side, raising concerns with the wording of the motion with different levels of permit types also set to come into effect for designated apartments and condos on Aug. 1..The market permit program covers multi-unit four-storey and higher buildings built after 1945 with 20 units. Calgarians living in homes in such buildings are scheduled to pay between $75 and $150 per month under the new market permit program, which isn’t included in the motion heading to council..Chabot said he would accept amendments to the motion to include multi-residential parking permits when it goes to council, adding he did not intentionally exclude Calgarians living in higher density homes..The motion does not include a method or methods do offset the costs to the city, but Chabot said using parking revenues Calgary Parking Authority collects from its Park Plus Program could be an option..“(Park Plus) has generated quite a bit of revenue for the City of Calgary through a dividend as well as created a significant reserve,” he said. “Obviously it has been operating at a profit (and) arguably we could use some of that revenue to offset some of the costs that residents are facing in residential parking zones.”.The motion will be heard at next week’s city council meeting.
