Downtown Cd'A parking fees are reasonable

Let’s see a show of hands.

Who wants to pay for parking? Nobody?

OK. Who doesn’t want to pay for parking? It’s unanimous. And unsurprising.

We could just go on to the next issue, but this one is likely to stick around a long time — kind of like the guy who parks in the street and won’t move his rig until Mr. Towtruck pays an unfriendly visit.

As much as people love free stuff, free parking is not only unlikely in Coeur d’Alene, but it also isn’t wise. Mayor Steve Widmyer and the Council members who have established reasonable parking fees in the downtown area are simply acting responsibly.

The city has invested millions of dollars in parking structures and spaces — dollars that have to come from somewhere. True, Cd’A residents could pitch in via ye olde property tax, but is that the right target? Widmyer, a fiscal conservative, doesn’t think so. Better to a) impose the fee on those who are actually using the parking spaces, and b) celebrate the fact that many of those using the spaces are visitors who should pay their fair share of the infrastructure expense.

A point that seems lost on some critics is that revenue from city parking helps Coeur d’Alene invest in a park system that any community would love to have. And if you think these fabulous public spaces are easy or cheap to maintain, consider just one fact: To replace the turf area around the playground at McEuen Park will cost an estimated $100,000. Turf replacement occurs about every 10 years, so the turf around the playground is about halfway through its life. Doesn’t it make sound fiscal sense to be setting aside some money every year to replace it? Multiply that one expense by all the other needs the park system is facing and the wisdom of the City Council is even more apparent.

For most of us, it’s still possible to park almost anywhere downtown for up to two hours without paying a penny. Munch on these stats for a moment:

- Downtown will still offer 1,279 spaces that are free the first two hours. That’s 59 percent of all public downtown parking spaces — no charge for two full hours.

- Another 705 spaces (32 percent) will cost $1 an hour.

- The remaining 196 spaces (9 percent) will cost $2 an hour.

Has the city overspent on its new parking garage or the structure at McEuen? That’s probably up for debate, but it’s also useless to argue because it’s done. A better approach is to give city officials useful feedback, and for those officials to listen to the needs and wants of their constituents.

For the most part, though, charging a modest user fee for parking downtown seems the most prudent course, fiscally wise and visitor friendly. That’s what drives good governance.