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Parking commission approves targeted 10% lease-permit increase, exempts several low-demand areas
Summary
After debate and public comment, the Missoula Parking Commission approved a 10% increase to most leased parking permits and related commercial permits, exempting several low-demand lots and streets; the change is part of a multi-year plan to improve utilization and move toward a daily-choice parking model.
The Missoula Parking Commission voted April 8 to raise lease permit rates, commercial loading and special service permits by 10% in most areas, while exempting a small set of low-demand locations from the increase.
Commission staff said the rate change follows the commission’s parking plan recommendation to raise lease rates 10% per year for three years to improve utilization and reduce long wait lists. Parking Services Director Jody Pilgrim told the board the commission uses license-plate-recognition (LPR) scans plus anecdotal complaint tracking to measure utilization and oversell levels.
"We look at utilization, through our LPR scans," Pilgrim said, explaining the data and how staff compiles it monthly for internal decisions. She noted some leased lots are oversold by design; across the portfolio the commission met a 10% oversell goal.
Tiffany Brander moved a blanket 10% proposal for all lease, loading zone, commercial and special service permits; Mike Steinberg seconded. Commissioner Peter Kelleher offered an amendment to exempt specific low-demand locations from the 10% increase. The amendment exempted four locations that staff had highlighted as undersold with zero wait lists: West Front Lot; West Front Street; Bowen Street; and East Alder Street (as recorded during discussion). The amended motion passed on a 3–2 roll-call vote (Tiffany Brander, Peter Kelleher and Mike Steinberg voting yes; JR Casillas and Joe Easton voting no).
Pilgrim reminded the board that any rate approvals would not take effect immediately: "Any approvals that are made today do not go into effect immediately. They would go into effect for the next fiscal year's permits, which would be on July 1," she said. Board members discussed alternatives to price increases — including opening low-use leased areas to hourly parking (staff has done that in some lots) and moving toward daily-choice software that would allow day permits instead of monthly reserved spaces.
Public commenters and commissioners raised concerns about equity and timing; several downtown employees and residents urged the commission to consider workers and residents who rely on close-in leased spaces. Commissioners requested additional utilization detail in future materials to support decisions about oversell and targeted changes.
Staff said it will circulate the utilization and complaint-tracking data used to set the policy and will implement the approved increases and exemptions as part of the FY26 permit cycle unless the board sets an alternate timetable.
