City to consider paid parking profit sharing

The Downtown Partnership believes it has made a breakthrough in convincing the city to consider a profit-sharing plan with its paid-parking program.

“We feel the merchants will support paid parking if they receive some of the money,” said Andy Dorr, Downtown Partnership member and vice president at Githler Development.

Dorr asked Susan Dodd, general manager of the city’s parking department, to give him two months to convince merchants to support the plan.

After the city covers its expenses, Dorr suggests using all proceeds to make downtown improvements.

Dodd said she’s always been open to profit sharing, but she does not yet have a plan for it, because no group approached her before the Partnership and indicated how much money they wanted.

At Monday’s City Commission meeting, Dodd will present an update on her paid-parking plan, and profit-sharing will be part of that presentation.

“The concept is favorable, but the commission would have (the final decision),” Dodd said.