City Council explores cutting meter parking rate
Chicago aldermen have been raked over the coals by angry motorists for rubber-stamping the 75-year, $1.15 billion lease that privatized parking meters and raised rates sky-high.
They ran for political cover today -- by holding a five-hour City Council hearing that explored the possibility of reducing the steep schedule of rate hikes that triggered a spike in vandalism and a dramatic drop in on-street parking.
(John J. Kim/Sun-Times)
"Utilization has fallen through the floor. We have nobody using these meters. It is not working. If you're going down Belmont, no one's parking on the street," said Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), owner of Ann Sather's Restaurants.
"If we don't get utilization up, our districts are gonna suffer on retail sales. It will have a damaging effect on meter retail communities, which is the lifeblood of our neighborhoods. We have to get this right. We get zero utilization. How do we bring everyone back to the table and say, 'We've got to restructure this deal?'"
Ald. Helen Shiller (46th) said she, too, has "many blocks that no one is parking on, and the businesses are crying" because of a drop in sales.
"We're not only [hurting] the businesses. It doesn't seem to serve the concessionaire well, either because they're not getting any revenue," she said.
Under questioning from downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), Deputy Corporation Counsel Jim McDonald acknowledged that the City Council retains the right to set meter rates. But, if the schedule that Chicago Parking Meters LLC paid for is adjusted, the concessionaire must be compensated.
"The city has a variety of methods -- including increasing the number of meters, increasing hours of operation -- that would allow the city to not have to make a financial payment to the concessionaire," McDonald said.
Frederick E. Pollock of Morgan Stanley Infrastructure, which formed Chicago Parking Meters LLC, made it clear that the company was open to "constructive suggestions"
"Our intention is to be a good corporate citizen. We view this as a 75-year relationship," he said.
On May 18, Chicago Parking Meters LLC was taken to the City Council woodshed amid accusations that it blew the takeover, concealed problems and "stole" money from motorists who parked at improperly calibrated downtown meters.
Today, Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) was on the warpath again -- this time about being charged $32.50 to park at night at a Wacker Drive meter near Sears Tower.
It happened after Hairston pushed the button marked "maximum" and was charged to park until 10 a.m. the following day. She thought she was paying for two hours of parking.
"Sears Tower is a major attraction, and we're gonna sock it to everybody unknowing when they can park at the garage across the street for ten bucks. That is a deceptive business practice," Hairston said.
"You cannot operate under a cloak. You have to tell people what they're getting. ... You all better get it together. ... Quit shocking the heck out of us."
Dennis Pedrelli, CEO of Chicago Parking Meters LLC, said, "We have received some complaints."
Company spokeswoman Avis LaVelle said a sticker will be placed above the "max" button explaining that pushing that button after 7 p.m. will trigger a charge until two hours into the next morning's enforcement period.