UPDATE: With community input collected at the meeting on August 26, the Caldwell City Council is now set to vote on the parking meters in the city at noon on Friday, August 30.
The meeting will be held at City Hall in council chambers where council members will consider suspending regulations and requirements for paid parking in the city.
The city of Caldwell hosted a workshop to discuss and gather comments from residents and business owners regarding the newly installed parking meters that were introduced on May 15.
Idaho News 6 has been covering the entire process. Since their arrival, the city has immediately received backlash. Many business owners are concerned about what the change will mean for their small businesses, and others have attended every city council meeting to voice their opinions.
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Many updates have been made since the meters were placed in various parts of the city, including adjustments to where free parking is available and the amount of free time a visitor has before needing to pay to park.
Residents have reported that the machines either do not accept their money or simply do not work at all.
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The city has stated in numerous meetings that they are working out the kinks and will continue to address any problems that arise with the meters.
During the August 26 meeting, the city took in every comment before having to make a decision on the parking meters renewal in October.
One by one, residents and business owners took the podium to express their concerns and discuss the negative impact the parking meters have had on their businesses.
If you still want to weigh in, you can contact the city at Cityclerk@cityofcaldwell.org.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
It has been three months since parking meters were installed in Caldwell. Over this period, many businesses have experienced problems and are now calling for attention. In response, the city of Caldwell hosted a special workshop to allow residents and business owners to voice their concerns.
“I think it's very frustrating. It gets more frustrating everyday because it seems like it's dragging out and we’ve already lost business out here and I don't want to see anymore leaving,” Said Caldwell Business Owner Ernest Seton
Antique store business owner Ernest Seton tells me he loves Caldwell and says he hates what a mess the meters have caused and just wants them
“If nothing is done until October then we can lose more,” Said Ernest Seton
Many people arrived early, hoping to secure a seat in the packed room and to sign up to speak.
Christopher Ott, owner of Chop Shop, initially supported the parking meters, believing they could benefit the city. However, he quickly changed his mind.
“We’ve seen a significant decrease in sales since the meters were installed we’ve head a lot of complaints from our customers and a lot of complaints from local residents of Caldwell but at this point the impact is too large and there is too many factors that we have to deal with as business owners if this one can be removed we want them gone,”Said Chop Shop business owner Christoper Ott
As the meeting started Mayor Wagoner thanked the packed house for coming and asked everyone to remain respectful of everyone's time.
One by one, residents and business owners voiced their concerns, hoping that the council will consider their issues when voting on the upcoming renewal.
“You have changed your city and you are gonna lose the very thing that is beautiful about Caldwell,” Said Caldwell resident