Newmarket residents could have more time to park on Main Street starting this winter as council reviews the 30-minute limit.
Council's committee of the whole is set to consider expanding the limit to two hours on evenings and weekends in a bid to accommodate more time-consuming dining and shopping experiences. At its Dec. 5 meeting, council will also be considering raising municipal fees across the board and escalating its fines more regularly.
Here is what NewmarketToday will be following:
Downtown parking
Newmarket council will decide on whether to change its parking limits on its downtown Main Street.
Staff is recommending a change to a two-hour limit for evenings and weekends but keeping the same time 30-minute limit otherwise.
The 30-minute limit was initially implemented during the pandemic to improve takeout. But polls conducted by the downtown BIA have shown continued support for the lower time limit. However, the limit has garnered some concern from restaurant-goers, who have said the 30-minute limit is not enough to dine in.
A town poll from the summer found a majority support for the idea of variable time limits among the BIA, at 57 per cent.
Other options council will consider include maintaining the current universal 30-minute limit or a comprehensive model that could allow businesses to tailor the parking limit to their own needs.
Staff said if a change to a two-hour limit on evenings and weekends is approved, enforcement could begin in February.
Fees increase
The town plans to raise most of its fees by 2.5 per cent starting January 1.
The increase is within the delegated authority of the treasurer, who can raise fees annually by the lesser of the inflation rate or 2.5 per cent.
The increase is usually tied to inflation represented by the Toronto Consumer Price Index, but the year-over-year increases in 2022 have ranged from 5.18 per cent and 7.47 per cent between January and October.
Escalating fines
Town staff want to bring escalating fines for repeat offenders into its enalty system.
The town employs an administrative monetary penalty system bylaw that allows it to fine bylaw offenders while avoiding provincial court processes.
But a staff report said the current AMPS system uses a “set penalty” for each offence. That means to escalate fines for repeat offenders, bylaw officers cannot use the AMPS system and must instead use a provincial court process, which staff said can be very time consuming.
“The goal of escalating fines is to further incentivize a prompt change in behaviour," the staff report said.
If approved, many fines would increase by 50 per cent on a second offence and 225 per cent on a third offence.
The town will stream the council meeting at 1 p.m. Dec. 5. You can view the stream at newmarket.ca/meetings or attend in person at 395 Mulock Dr. You can also arrange a deputation or send correspondence by emailing [email protected].
