Parking meters being yanked out

The Sarasota City Commission voted by a 3-2 vote just before 5 p.m. today to yank out all parking meters, effective today.

Commissioner Shannon Snyder told his fellow commissioners today he changed his mind and voted to kill the parking meter program.

"I'm not in favor of the parking meter program any longer," Snyder said. "We tried it and it didn't work."

Vice Mayor Terry Turner and Commissioner Paul Caragiulo voted along with Snyder to remove the parking meters. Mayor Suzanne Atwell and Commissioner Willie Shaw voted agains the motion.

Effective immediately, city staff will work in the next two to three weeks to remove the meters and replace them with new two-hour parking limit signs that were previously in place. Parking is now free in the Palm Avenue garage effective immediately.

For more information, pick up a copy of Thursday's March 8 Sarasota Observer.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].