City of Klamath Falls Council Meeting on Parking Fees

City of Klamath Falls Council Meeting on Parking Fees

KLAMATH FALLS, OR— City of Klamath Falls want to establish a downtown residential parking fee

Melanie Baker brought her service dog to the Klamath Falls City Council meeting as she had some things she wanted to discuss with the city about the ADA and City policies and maybe the city having an city ordinance for service dogs. A very lively soul she is and her dog is very friendly but she does have a point one should never approach a service dog without getting permission from the dog owner first. Mayor Carol Westfall was helpful with helping Melanie Baker fill out the speaker form to speak at the city council meeting on Monday night.

Melanie Bakers' dog is a friendly sort and I even experienced the dog coming in my direction as I was sitting in the front row video taping the meeting. The dog was looking at me on her lease and she looked like she wanted to be petted but she also looked like she was about to attack me too. But that was just my impression as all in the all Melanie Bakers' dog seems like a very nice dog at a distance. Melanie Baker is also a veteran and we congratulate and thank for her for her service.

After Melanie Baker spoke before the council AN ORDINANCE AMENDING KLAMATH FALLS CITY CODE SECTIONS 7.145, 7.160, 7.165(2), 1.187 AND 7.188 ESTABLISHING A DOWNTOWN RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT, INCORPORATING PARKING PERMIT FEES INTO THE CITY MANAGER’S FEE SCHEDULE, AND IMPOSING FEES BY THE CALENDAR YEAR - FIRST READING was discussed.

The proposal was laid out before the city council to decided how they want to approach the short fall of the parking funds and how to help offset it with increases in parking fees to be fair to all concerned with this issue. The employees and the residents of the city of Klamath Falls, OR. Several questions were brought up about the fees. City Council Member Dan Tofell felt the $300.00 fee was a bit excessive. And City Council Member Bill Adams and Nathan Cherpeski City Manager discussed other parking fees charged in larger cities in Oregon.

Then other members of the community presented to the council their questions, ideas and suggestions. A local resident and two local business people approached the council and spoke, each explaining their concerns with the increase in employee parking fees but also with adding resident parking to the city ordinance now. Each presenting their questions to the city council and chairman of the parking committee. This was an open public hearing where anyone could get up and make comments about the proposed parking increases and the adding of the resident fees being added for the first time to the ordinance to help offset the budget shortfall.

It was decided by the city council that they would continue with the public hearing for further discussion and input at their next scheduled city council meeting. All council members voted in the affirmative to table the agenda item until further notice.

Next up was the reading of AN ORDINANCE ADDING SECTION 5.250 TO THE CITY OF KLAMATH FALLS CODE AND AMENDING SECTION 5.290 RELATING TO ESTABLISHING ENHANCED LAW ENFORCEMENT AREAS AND THE CRIMINAL OFFENSE OF PERSISTENT VIOLATION - FIRST READING

Discussion but no action was taken. A map was shown of the proposed area of concern by business owners and the vagrant situation. Where a representative of the Ross Hagland Theater spoke up about the concerns of trying to decided to put up a fence around the garbage bins to help stop local vagrants from urinating and leaving feces behind for heath and safety concerns for their employees and the city employees who pick up the garbage bin.

Then finally reading in title only the ORDINANCE AMENDING KLAMATH FALLS CODE SECTIONS 7.202, 7.205, 7.210, 7.225, 7.227 AND7.235 REGARDING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA TAXES ON SALES AND ADDING SECTIONS 7.236 AND 2.470 THROUGH 2.474 ESTABLISHING AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF COLLECTING THE SALES TAX AND CREATING AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONCERNING THE REGULATION OF THE MARIJUANA INDUSTRY - SECOND AND FINAL READING

This was the last meeting for retiring city council member Ward V Bill Adams. Where at the end of the meeting Bill Adams read a prepaid statement about his years of service for the city of Klamath Falls, OR. Where at the end of his speech everyone present gave Bill Adams a round of applause for his service over the years for the city council of Klamath Falls.

RELATED LINK: City of Klamath Falls gouging low-income city residents for parking permits.

James Garland of Tulelake News
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