Scranton council OKs refinancing steps for parking authority; business owners, residents urge removing Saturday meters

Scranton City Council approved a package of measures on Tuesday to advance refinancing and transfer arrangements for the city's parking system, while dozens of downtown business owners, residents and institutions urged the city to abandon or narrow a proposal that would extend metered hours and begin charging on Saturdays.

The council voted to move forward with financial steps tied to the parking authority's transaction, including resolutions authorizing refinancing under federal tax rules and the city's acceptance of the parking authority's obligations and garages. At the same meeting, public commenters and several council members urged removing the Saturday enforcement provision and asked for more protections for seniors, students and small businesses.

Why this matters: The refinancing and transfer are intended to avoid a potential default on parking-system bonds and to restructure the concession and lease agreements that govern metered street parking and downtown garages. Opponents warned that expanding enforcement to Saturdays and extending daily hours would reduce weekend foot traffic, hurt small businesses, and impose new costs on low-income residents and students.

Council action and what it does - The council read into the record and advanced ordinance 6D (file to council number 84 of 2025), described in the agenda as amendments to the 2016 concession and lease agreements that would extend terms, transfer the authority's metered system and garages to the city and authorize related actions. That ordinance passed the reading-by-title motion. - The council also read and advanced an associated ordinance to amend the city's parking-meter rate and hours schedule (item 6E, file to council number 85 of 2025) to permit higher meter rates, extended weekdays enforcement and a service fee for…