Updated: April 1 9:30 a.m. to correct the monthly revenue figure. Parking meter heads have vanished from the downtown area, but it’s not because of COVID-19. In this case, it’s theft. Around 5 a.m. March 23, someone broke into the North Garage office and one of the items stolen was keys for the on-street parking meters, according to Craig Raymond,
Read more
City Commissioners will consider code changes to the parking requirements for development during their March 3 meeting. The proposed changes have been presented in public meetings since December and include reductions in some required minimums for certain land uses; credit for bicycle parking; parking stall dimensions; paving options; and more. Proposed parking code changes get first read at Feb. 4
Read more
City Commissioners will consider a one-year extension of the parking enforcement and services agreement with SP+ Corportation during tonight’s meeting. The original agreement was approved in 2011 and renewed with three-year contracts since. It has also been amended to add tasks including snow removal contracting and back-office software purchase and maintenance. Staff is pursuing a one-year contract renewal as it
Read more
City staff are proposing changes to the city’s parking and landscaping codes. In December, staff briefed City Commissioners on the proposed changes to the parking code, but ran out of time to talk about the proposed changes to the landscaping code since discussion with the airport board took up the bulk of the work session. Craig Raymond, planning director, said
Read more
Parking in downtown Great Falls is free Dec. 14-25. The city has more than 1,000 metered spaces in the downtown district and is continuing the annual tradition of not charging for parking the week before Christmas. The two hour maximum parking limit at all parking meters remains in effect to “ensure everyone has access to parking,” according to the city.
Read more
Discussions about how to best manage the city’s parking program are continuing. Last week, the Parking Advisory Board met to discuss the changes that have been implemented so far and other potential options, to include exploring a long-term lease for operation of the city’s parking system. The city’s contract with SP+ expires at the end of the year and Craig
Read more
Hope you’ve all enjoyed the weather this weekend. Here’s your Sunday reads: CityLab: Parking Reform Will Save the City AP: Bankers Expect Slow Economic Growth Amid Trade War PEW: Yoga, Zumba Narcan: Check Out Your Local Library RTDNA: Elimination of Copy Editors Has Been Disastrous for Newspapers Washington Post: The End of an American Tradition: The Amtrak Dining Car Forbes:
Read more
Great Falls Fire Rescue is proposing a fee increase for certain services and the City Commission will consider the change during their Aug. 6 meeting. The fees were last changed in April 2014 and includes fees for investigation reports, facility and equipment rental, ladder testing, hose repair, breathing air bottle filling and more. The proposal would increase the fees by
Read more
Complaints about abandoned vehicles are fairly common and the Great Falls Police Department is regularly handling those complaints. GFPD’s response to abandoned vehicles is complaint driven and the process is dictated by state and local regulations. “We don’t actively seek out abandoned vehicles,” said Lt. Doug Mahlum of GFPD’s Support Services Bureau. “There are laws that we have to follow before
Read more
Beginning July 1, parking meter rates in downtown Great Falls will increase to $1 per hour. The City Commission voted 4-1 on Tuesday, with Commissioner Tracy Houck dissenting, to increase the meter rate; replace the annual courtesy ticket with one per lifetime of a license plate; and slightly revise the fines for time violations. The new fine structure will be:
Read more