LA MESA TO SHUT OFF PARKING METERS FOR 60 DAYS

By Miriam Raftery and Janis Russell

Updated September 12, 2014 (La Mesa)—By a 3 to 2 vote, La Mesa’s City Council members voted Tuesday to shut down parking meters for 60 days, though the shut-off won’t take effect until mid-October.  Motorists will have two hours of free parking.

The decision was made  in hopes of boosting business for local merchants in La Mesa’s downtown village, where business has been slowed sharply due to construction during a $5 million revitalization project that includes new landscaping, lighting, and other upgrades. Some parking areas have been blocked temporarily as a result.

But none of the merchants actually asked for the meters to be shut off—and neither did shoppers, Parking Commissioner Jim Wiebolt told the council. 

That point was disputed by Craig Maxwell, owner of Maxwell's House of Books.  "Business is way down for us," he said, adding that parking was difficult before. "Now it's very difficult."

Janet Castanos spoke in opposition. "Parking meter income is funding the redevelopment project," she said, noting that there is already free parking on Spring Street and that keeping traffic moving is important.

Councilmembers Kristine Alessio, Ernie Ewin and Mark Arapostathis voted in favor of the moratorium on parking meters as a “goodwill” gesture toward struggling merchants, Arapostathis said. 

Ewin voiced concern over assuring parking for the disabled and that "besides the parking issue, we have an obligation as good neighbors to shop at home."  Alessio expressed concern over employee parking as well.

But Mayor Art Madrid and Councilmember Ruth Sterling voted against it. They noted that parking meter fees are what paid for the $5 revitalization and beautification of downtown project, in part.  Meter fees also pay the salaries of parking enforcement employees.

Shutting off the meters could cost the city almost a half a million dollars. On the other hand, falling sales also means less money from sales revenues for the city.

Council weighed several options. In the end, the Council majority opted for a short term moratorium, giving shoppers two hours of free parking for a two-month period.  The moratorium will begin after staff resolves how to inform the public through signs and, perhaps, covering the parking meters.

After the 60 day time ends Council will assess whether it’s been effective at improving business – and may extend the action, but only if the downtown merchants support such a decision.

In other actions, Council debated who should fill the vacant seat on the planning commission.  The majority--Ewin, Arapostathis and Alessio--voted to appoint James Newland.

Earlier, Allen Sasaki, who works with the city of San Diego, gave Council a presentation regarding the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant permit renewal. La Mesa has a modified permit/waiver that is due February 1 2015. If they choose to continue with the waivers, changes in regulations or interpretations of the law could mean a "lack of certainty for rate payers and planners,” he said.  He explained that a better approach would be to obtain approval so that the discharge from Point Loma is considered equivalent to secondary treatment, so there would be no more modified permits and it would be cost-effective. That would mean addressing each secondary standard, maintaining enhanced ocean monitoring and industrial source control, and implementing upstream potable reuse facilities.  This plan would produce "the resource that this city viably needs,” Sazaki added.

Vice Mayor Ruth Sterling praised the approach as a means to get public support, noting that taxpayers don't want to spend money to to upgrade the Point Loma plant.

When Councilmember Ernie Ewin asked about costs, Ann Langworthy explained that if they upgraded to the secondary, the cost would be $1.8 billion, which would be shared by water and waste water users.

No action was taken on this item.

To learn more about the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment plant, visit: http://www.sandiego.gov/mwwd/facilities/ptloma/.