Parking fees and fines in the City of Powell River will be going up.
At the October 10 city council meeting, city councillors adopted an amendment to the parking lot bylaw, which will see parking fees go up from $5 to $7.50 per day at Powell River Airport, the North Harbour marina, South Harbour wharf and at Mowat Bay. A staff report noted that given there is no boat launch fee, $7.50 for parking and boat launch is still below market rate for these services.
Currently, the parking fine in the city is $15 if paid before seven days and $20 after, which, according to the staff report, is not a significant fine or incentive to pay earlier. The bylaw update includes doubling the fine amount to $30 if paid in the first 14 days and after that, the fine amount increases to $60. The staff report noted that in the City of Vancouver, the fine is $35 if paid within 14 days and $60 thereafter.
“By having incentive to pay early, the city would likely increase collections,” the report stated.
It is forecast that the annual revenue increase from parking fees and fines will be $26,000.
At the council meeting, councillor Earl Almeida asked if the increase in parking fees would be allocated to any particular cause or purpose, or would it be considered general revenue.
Chief financial officer Mallory Denniston said the money would not be dedicated to any specific item or city fund.
“We aren’t required to designate it as such,” said Denniston. “We would use the infrastructure reserve for any repairs or overall capital improvements.”
Councillor Trina Isakson said this is a bylaw amendment that came to committee of the whole, previously, that originated from budget discussions last year about opportunities to increase revenue.
“Staff made some recommendations based on research of other areas and this is a final bylaw for adoption,” said Isakson.
Councillor Jim Palm said the city is increasing parking fines from $15 to $30, and after 14 days, it comes to $60.
“The information I see here is that it is based on the Vancouver rates,” said Palm. “We don’t live in Vancouver. We don’t have the massive parking situation problem that Vancouver has. This increase is way beyond the increase that should be proposed for Powell River. I won’t be voting for it.”
Final adoption of the amendment bylaw carried, with Palm opposed.
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