The Gettysburg Borough Council continues to take a deep dive into its proposed 2024 budget, having spent about 4 hours and 45 minutes on the topic in the past two weeks. The council made no decisions but is leaning towards approving several changes to the Gettysburg Parking department.
Parking fees
The seven-member body informally agreed to raise the residential parking permit from $29 to $35 per year. Residential parking permits allow residents to park in two-hour zones longer than the posted limit. There are 25 residential zones throughout the borough.
The borough also plans to increase the cost of daily parking in the Racehorse Alley Parking Garage from $12 for 24 hours to $18 for the same time period. Previously, Borough Manager Charles Gable noted the new rate would still be lower than the hourly fee of $1. The council has not discussed plans to increase hourly parking rates for the garage, street spaces, or borough-managed lots.
Garage upgrades
The borough council also tentatively agreed to spend up to $15,000 for upgrades to the Racehorse Alley Parking Garage kiosk. The project will involve adding a touchscreen to the kiosk to lessen user confusion. The borough earned $245,000 in revenue from the kiosk in 2022, Gable said. Parking Manager Becka Fissel told the council that the touchscreen was recommended when the kiosks were installed but the borough council at the time chose the cheaper option.
“Anything to make it easier because people do complain,” Councilmember Patti Lawson said.
Fissel also asked the council for a car counter with the intention of improving user experience in the garage. The device, estimated at $64,000, will show people how many spaces remain so motorists do not enter the garage and discover it is full. Fissel noted the garage currently fills about 10 times per year but Gable noted use is expected to increase when the Gettysburg Station Project is completed in a few years. Council President Wesley Heyser opposed the car counter, but most of his colleagues supported it
The council will reconvene at 7 p.m., Oct. 30 to discuss the 2024 budget. At that meeting, the council plans to examine the police department’s budget proposal.
Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.
Kiosk: People do struggle with, and mutter about, the kiosk in the garage. If a touchscreen would make it easier to use, the Borough should do it. The car counter would be a cost/benefit consideration item, in my opinion. I’ve seen them used in larger garages (including showing where there is a vacant space.). Garage: Predicting that garage usage will increase due to the redevelopment project is puzzling, since people are not likely to park and walk to either Carlisle or N. Stratton and cross the tracks in order to access those businesses, and the railroad is not likely to… Read more »
Or – is the RPP increase just another way to put revenue into the general fund, not meant to help fund parking enforcement ? It’s an easy way to generate additional income from residents who have no choice but to get a parking permit.