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Minutes - Approved

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Meeting date: 
Thursday, December 14, 2023

Town of Ridgefield
Parking Authority Regular Meeting
December 14, 2023 – 8:00 a.m.
Town Hall Lower Level Small Conference Room, 400 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT
MEETING MINUTES - APPROVED

Members present: J. Wilmot, E. Burns, M. Recck
Members absent: None
Also Present: L. Yarrish, Parking Enforcement Officer

Chairman Recck called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m.

  1. Approval of minutes from November 16, 2023. Mr. Recck moved, and Ms. Wilmot seconded, approval of minutes for 11/16/23. Motion passed 3 – 0.
  2. Parking enforcement officer’s report. The planters in front of the Lantern restaurant are still a problem for parking in front of the building on Main Street, although the sidewalk seating has been removed. Mr. Recck has sent several email to the owner, but received no response. Mr. Yarrish will speak to the manager and ask them to move them away from the curb.
  3. CVS/USPS lot discussion
    1. No progress with USPS. Sen. Blumenthal did not attend the Small Business Administration tour of downtown businesses, so there was no opportunity to speak with him that day.
    2. License agreement amendment. Ms. Burns reported that the Google map of the area are old and so don’t reflect the changes to the entrance and new parking areas. Mr. Recck suggested using Bing maps instead. Ms. Burns will work on this after the holidays. She will also include the area leased by the USPS in the map.
  4. Governor Street lot to Bailey Avenue sidewalk discussion. Meeting with RVNA representatives, along with Mr. Marconi and Jake Muller has been scheduled for Monday, 12/18 at 8:30 am at the RVNA building. Mr. Recck and Ms. Burns will attend.
  5. Donnelly lot - Ancona’s Wines & Liquors. Mr. Recck has heard nothing from Attorney Gustavson regarding our proposed changes in time limits, and the signs are still up in violation of the License Agreement. Other businesses are being negatively impacted by the lack of parking when the RTS is open. Convincing employers to have their staff park in the all-day Governor Street lot is an ongoing problem.
  6. Regency Centers potential lot enforcement. No progress. The entire agreement needs to be revised in the new year.
  7. Discuss EV parking limits for municipal lots: Mr. Recck reported that the EV grant funds were accepted at a Town Meeting on 12/13, which will include 2 stations for the Governor Street lot. Time limits for EV stations in the CVS lot will be 4 hours, but in general the limits should be consistent with the lot limits. Mr. Recck recommended that the station behind Town Hall be relocated to the Governor Street lot because those spaces are needed for quick visits to Town Hall or elsewhere – the lot has a one-hour time limit for that purpose. The EV stations behind Town Hall are used primarily by those who work at Town Hall or nearby businesses. People leave their chargers accessible so others will charge their car after the one plugged in leaves or stops charging and the cables are long so sometimes 3 spaces are being used. Mr. Recck will follow up with Mr. Marconi and the town Energy Task Force.
  8. 2024 Meeting Schedule: The following are the dates for the Parking Authority meetings in 2024, all at 8 am: January 18, February 15, March 21, April 18, May 16, June 20, July 18, August 15, September 19, October 17, November 21, December 19.
  9. Parking Data review: There were again fewer citations issued during the 30 day period ending 12/11 (60) vs. the prior period (70), a 14% decrease). There was also a 14% decrease in Branchville Station daily parking fees.
  10. Other business: The owner of TerraSole has sued the Planning & Zoning Commission for the denial of their after-the-fact permits for the enclosed structures on the patio and entryway which were constructed with no permits or inspections. The astroturf and barriers remain in place, using 4 parking spaces in front of the building. Ms. Burns will contact Alice Dew to see what the P&Z can do, if anything, about this situation in light of the lawsuit.

Adjournment. Ms. Burns moved, and Mr. Recck seconded a motion to adjourn at 9:20 a.m. Motion approved 3 – 0.

Respectfully submitted, Ellen Burns