According to City Manager Austin Bleess, the proposed modification contained two sections.
The first section would restrict any overnight parking, from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., on city streets. Section one would also remove any reference to the Albair lot, since it is no longer public, and clarify that no tractor-trailer trucks are allowed in the municipal building lot, with the exception of delivery vehicles. All other vehicles parking in the municipal lot will be limited to 15 minutes.
Section two deals specifically with overnight parking, and would move the ban to 11 p.m. instead of midnight. This section would also allow overnight parking in the North Downtown Mall parking lot along the retaining wall as well as Hatch Drive.
Council voted to make the aforementioned changes before opening a public hearing on Grange Street parking regulations.
C.B. Smith, owner of Virtual Managed Solutions in Caribou, spoke to councilors regarding the two-hour parking limit.
“I came out of the Highway Protection Committee meeting with the impression that there was going to be a discussion and possible vote regarding the enforcement of two-hour parking. Maybe I misunderstood, but it’s still an important issue. I think we should either discuss it now or soon, before the enforcement starts.”
“I think, since Mr. Smith’s contention is that we need less two-hour parking,” said Councilor David Martin, “I think it’s a relevant conversation to have.”
“My suggestion is that we just eliminate the enforcement altogether,” said Smith. “Those two-hour parking signs have been there for over 12 years, and to my knowledge, they have not been enforced.”
Smith requested a discussion about the enforcement of the two-hour parking rules, adding that, if it was not relevant to the current meeting, then he would like an opportunity to discuss the regulations at a future meeting before they are fully enforced.
“My only comment to the council would be that if you don’t want to enforce the ordinance, then do away with it,” said Mayor Gary Aiken. “It makes no sense to have an ordinance on the books and then to not enforce it.”
Councilor Joan Theriault explained a recent systematic survey she conducted regarding city parking, and how she did not find any parking issues throughout the process.
“One day I would go in the morning, the next day I would check in the afternoon or at a different time,” explained Theriault. “We don’t have a parking problem in Caribou. There are plenty of spaces. There was no area, at any time I checked, where I couldn’t find parking.”
Council decided to table the issue and have an additional discussion regarding the ordinance on Wednesday, March 23, at 5 p.m..
