Heating A/C &
We Sell Local Grocery Items
Hot Water
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
Service & Maintenance Packages
506 Days Road (LaSalle Plaza) 613-384-1756 mysigrids.com
Saving You Money For A Cleaner Tomorrow
596 Norris Court | 613.384.9292 | www.kesenergy.ca
1-888-889-8946 1478Unity Rd. Glenburnie
Proud to be part of your community! Thursday, June 2, 2016 | 32 pages
Time for change? City launches review of parking rates and fines By Bill Hutchins
News – The cost of parking your vehicle in high traffic areas of downtown Kingston is likely to rise. The question is, by how much? The city has launched its first review of on-street parking fees in several years with an eye to hiking the hourly Pay-and-Display rates and, possibly, boosting parking ticket fines. “On-street rates and hourly rates haven’t been looked at for a number of years so we need to take a look at that,” said transportation director Sheila Kidd. Motorists currently pay an average of $1.50 an hour to park on the street with a twoto-three hour limit. There are suggestions the rate could rise to $2 an hour. But before any final decisions are made, city officials want motorists and other residents to give their two cents worth. Some ideas being tossed around at a recent public meeting include extending paid parking times into the evening hours or allowing dedicated parking space rentals. City officials have made no secret of the need to collect additional parking revenues. The parking reserve fund – which is constantly replenished by parking rate revenues, not property taxes – is running low and un-
able to finance long-term repairs to existing garages or to help build a new one. “Parking structures are particularly expensive to maintain and operate,” explained Kidd. The city has already approved $4.2 million in repairs and maintenance work to its two largest downtown parking structures - 272-space Hanson and 450-space Chown and unveiled plans to spend up to $18 million to construct a new multi-level municipal garage along lower Queen Street as part of a proposed private apartment development. Kingston recently hiked hourly rates in municipal parking garages to $1.50 an hour to match on-street rates, an increase that will raise an additional $240,000 a year. It’s unclear how much more could be generated by boosting parking meter/Pay-and-Display rates. As for parking tickets, the current fines range from as low as $15 at an expired meter ($10 if paid within 7 days) to $300 for illegally parking in a handicapped space. Kidd says those fines must be kept in line with parking rates in order to remain an effective deterrent. “If you put hourly rates up the Continued on page 10
Young philanthropist works to make world a better place Lucia (Lu) Miranda reads to her little brother Henry from Super Lu Saves the Animals, a book she wrote and illustrated to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund. See story on page 15. Photo/Rob Mooy
FRESH
2808 PRINCESS ST. (613) 766-1262
ONTARIO AT ITS BEST
PORK BELLY GREAT FOR THE BBQ $ 99 WOW!! & SMOKER lb / $6.59 kg
2
bobsbutchershop.ca
730 FRONT RD. (613) 634-1262
OASIS 816 CRS with 25hp Evinrude E-Tec reg $19,999
8109 Hwy 38 • Godfrey 613-374-5604
sales@ldpowersports.com
SALE $
17,999
$154/mo 0 DOWN Taxes incl. OAC