Abilene council adopts paid parking-lot rates, adds downtown parking stamp program

The Abilene City Council approved changes to the municipal fee schedule to add rates for a paid parking lot across from a downtown hotel and to codify a downtown parking stamp program.

Max Johnson, Director of Public Works, said the paid downtown lot will remain a paid lot while most downtown on-street parking remains free for up to two hours, with time limits posted by signage. Johnson described the parking-stamp program as an existing practice now being added to the official fee schedule: businesses can purchase a packet of stamps that can be presented to municipal court to seek excusal of a parking citation.

"The cost of the stamps, it's $10 for 10 stamps and can be purchased by the businesses downtown through the accounting department," Johnson said. He clarified that the stamps apply only to on-street citations and do not forgive overstays in the paid parking lot or automatically void a ticket; municipal court retains discretion to evaluate and excuse a ticket.

Council members asked how widely the stamp packets had been used; Johnson said two to three of the 10-stamp pages were purchased last year. Council members also asked staff to explore whether ParkMobile or a similar web-based system could be used for a business validation feature.

The council approved the fee-schedule updates on final reading by unanimous vote. The motion was made by Council Member Beard and seconded by Council Member Price.