Board of Aldermen 11-10-2020 Page 21
Alderman Caron
Madam President, yes thank you. | have to concur with Alderman O’Brien that we shouldn’t be adding
amendments to something that has been a standard for the Board of Aldermen for the free parking during
the Holiday Season. And the other thing is, that during snowstorms, people do bring their cars to the
parking garages and leave them there so that they’re not on the street. So we have had a long discussion
about this fee reduction and we put in on hold and | don’t think that this is the particular time to be putting
this in as an amendment. Thank you.
Alderman Dowd
| sort of agree with the previous speakers that we’ve always used this generic motion to give this ability to
people to park during the holidays at no fee during the day to help our downtown merchants and to help the
people that are doing shopping. | would prefer that any motion that, not relative to that original motion, be
handled separately under a different Resolution or Ordinance.
President Wilshire
Further discussion on the motion to amend. Alderman Lu.
Alderwoman LU
May | ask a question, Madam President. Thank you. Through you to Alderman Lopez, | heard a couple
times about a parking committee meeting and | would just like some clarification on that.
Alderman Lopez
So | don’t know what clarification | can give. At the last Infrastructure Committee it was a Joint
Infrastructure and Human Affairs Committee. My understanding was that the President had agreed to form
a Committee. She has clarified she meant look into it. There was an e-mail that was sent out that | haven’t
received. But in that meeting we had talked about parking specifically because it has come up many,
many, many times over the last 3 or 4 years in Infrastructure Committee. All parking legislation has been
routinely tabled or side barred. In this case it seems like | was under the impression that essentially
everybody who spoke previously was willing to entertain an amendment here, which was not the case as
they were all stating that was never their intent. I'll have to review the video to see exactly what they said.
| would encourage the public to do that as well | think just so it is clear.
Alderwoman Lu
Thank you.
President Wilshire
Are you all set, Alderman Lu?
Alderwoman Lu
No | have a follow up question. So that was not a Parking Committee meeting, it was an Infrastructure or
Joint Meeting.
Alderman Lopez
It does not appear that there is any Committee in existence at this time that is willing to entertain parking
progress. At this moment, all Committees that would even consider addressing it on an Aldermanic level
are waiting for the parking study. | don’t have information as to when that will be.
