City aldermen heard yet more frustration from downtown business owners regarding violations of the two-hour parking limit policy that includes the downtown square and a one-block radius around it.
The city’s Planning and Public Works Committee, which has discussed the issue previously in 2015, decided to move forward with a plan to begin enforcing the two-hour limit starting on January 4th.
Bill Scott is the committee chairman.
“This is a baby step to the big picture. We want to see how this goes, and if this doesn’t perform the duties that it’s supposed to do, then we’ll take further measures,” says Scott. “But, starting January 4th, there will be someone marking your tires in the downtown so if you’re there over two hours, you’d better get out and move your car.”
Scott says plans for additional signage letting people know about the ordinance are in the works.
“There’s already some signage up. There’s going to be some additional signage put up by the street department. Main Street has a beautiful new sign that will go up in twelve points of the downtown. That has not been approved by the Main Street board yet, so once it gets approved and finalized, then those will go up,” he says.
Drivers can keep their cars parked overnight thanks to a rules change approved last August.
In other action during Monday night’s committee meeting, aldermen gave the green light for the Jacksonville Shriners’ Club to add their logo to the city’s “Welcome to Jacksonville” signs.