City Council to Decide on Parking Permits

by Melody Gustafson
EAST LIVERPOOL - The street committee of city council is considering a proposal to offer drivers optional parking permits for three-hour zones.

The current scenario under discussion is that drivers may purchase the permits for $15 per month. Display of the permit allows them to park in three hour spaces for as long as they need to while enjoying immunity from parking tickets.

The current cost of a parking ticket is $5 and it must be paid within 72 hours. After this time has passed, the fine inflates to $10. After 15 days, the price swells to $60.

"This is an option for people who wish to park longer than three hours," assistant service-safety director Ryan Estell said.

Estell went through all tickets issued to violators in a certain area around KSU from April 7, 2007 through March 8, 2007. He discovered that there were 430 of them.

According to Estell, city law director Charles Payne must advise council on the legality of selling the permits to only KSU students before the committe will agree on the formal legislation.

If the committe votes and passes it, then the rest of the council members must hear it three times before they hold a vote.