City Council Gives The OK For Parking Meters

Anchor Intro: Parking meters in Downtown Kent have been the talk of the city. Tv2 reporter Alaina Altieri has the details on the finalized approval from City Council.

The City of Kent held a special committee council meeting Wednesday night.  One of the major topics discussed was the approval of the 225 parking meters in downtown Kent. The meters will have a two-hour parking limit and costs $1 an hour. Drivers can also pay smaller coins for quicker visits. The meters will be enforced Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Community Development Director, Bridget Susel, stressed that there will be two patrol people assisting in the traffic flow of the parking meters making sure no one is abusing the two-hour limit. Susel also added the meters will not be enforced on weekends or holidays.

Kent City Manager Dave Ruller expects the meters to be in place by November.

The meters will be on-street parking only so there will still be free parking.

Kent Mayor Jerry Fiala doesn’t feel that downtown will lose business because of the installments of these meters.

“We have a parking deck down there: people are using it now, they are paying for parking and if people don’t mind walking two or three blocks, there’s free parking. At this day and age I think we are all concerned about our health so it’s not bad to walk a block or two.”

Tag: City Council passed the parking meters motion unanimously. If drivers are caught parking in lots that require a pass, to avoid paying a meter, they will be ticketed.