A downtown business owner asked Auburn City Council Thursday to test two hours of free parking during November and December, while Councilor Craig Diego separately urged the city to consider outside help collecting old parking tickets.
Neither proposal received a vote Oct. 22. The discussions continued months of complaints about downtown parking costs and the ease of using the city’s payment system.
During public comment, the business owner proposed using the holiday shopping season to evaluate whether two hours of free parking would help downtown merchants.
She pointed to several newer businesses and said a trial could support their efforts to establish themselves alongside existing shops.
The request gives a specific November–December window to an idea raised at earlier council meetings. FingerLakes1 previously reported that business representatives met with city officials about parking concerns, including the two-hour proposal, without an announced policy change.
Diego questions pace of overdue ticket collections
Later in the meeting, Diego said the city had recovered approximately $59,000 since the previous November from roughly $600,000 in outstanding parking tickets.
He said recent collections had slowed to about $2,500 to $2,600 per month and suggested that the city explore a collection agency paid through a share of the money it recovers.
Diego also proposed contacting county or state motor vehicle officials about possible ways to flag accounts associated with unpaid tickets.
He questioned whether the city should continue carrying some of its oldest debts, including tickets dating back 15 to 17 years. Some people who owed those fines may have died, he said.
His proposal would shift more of the collection work outside the Police Department, which has used booting as an enforcement tool.
Collection debate follows renewed boot-and-tow effort
The outstanding balance has been before council for months.
At that time, she said vehicles with outstanding tickets parked on city streets could be booted, towed and held until payment.
Thursday’s comments questioned whether that approach alone was recovering enough of the old balance.
Four more kiosks receive budget support
Council separately approved funding transfers to support four additional parking kiosks.
The changes move $19,217.53 in salary savings from retired staff into operating supplies, services and fees.
The equipment funding was part of broader current-year budget amendments. It did not establish a free-parking trial or authorize a collection agency.
Haines said she would follow up with Diego and city staff on his suggestions. Council announced no start date for a holiday parking trial or decision on outside ticket collection.
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