Ellwood City to Keep Parking Meters … for Now

Council voted to table a motion to eliminate parking meters on Lawrence and Bell avenues and Fifth Street.

Council was divided on the issue during the October 21 meeting with George Celli, Michelle Lamenza, and James Barry voting to table and Rob Brough, Lisa Guerrera, and Judith Dici voting to move forward with the motion. Councilwoman Marilyn Mancini was not in attendance, leaving Mayor Anthony Court to tie-break the vote.

Council President Judith Dici, brought up the idea at an agenda-setting meeting October 15. She said Ellwood City is not making enough revenue from parking to keep them, and she believes getting rid of the meters might draw more business to town.

She estimated at the time that Ellwood City brought in $18,762 from the meter fees and $5,372 in fines. It costs the borough more than $12,000 annually for salary and benefits of the meter officer and maintenance of the meters.

Dici said the less than $12,000 brought in each year is not enough to make the meters a viable source of revenue.

The move would not have impacted permit parking lots.

Celli motioned to table the motion because he said he would like to see a more detailed report of the revenue and expense of the meters and that any revenue at this point is necessary to help as the borough will soon be forced to balance the budget.

Visitors in attendance included Joe Morabito, owner and operator of Shop at the Underpass, a gift and antique shop on Fifth Street. Morabito said he believes that removing the meters would cause other issues such as residents of downtown apartments filling up street parking, business owners parking in front of other business owner’s storefronts, and a lack of control of who and the amount of time people are able to take up spaces. He also said there would be no monitor of handicapped spaces, which he believes will be an issue. He said he doesn’t see the logic behind the proposal and that the revenue is enough in his opinion to keep the meters around. Morabito explained that the Fifth Street business owners already face challenges regarding storm water drainage and that this would simply add another challenge to doing business on that street.

“We don’t need another problem,” he said.

Visitor Paul Dici said he believes Ellwood City should follow in the footsteps of its neighboring towns and do away with the meters. He said he doesn’t think it will cause any issues and will have a positive impact on business downtown.