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Commission initiates procurement for downtown parking management, asks how revenues will be used
Summary
The engineering committee approved a procurement process to hire a downtown parking-management firm and asked the law department to draft related ordinance changes; stakeholders had suggested using revenue for downtown upkeep, security and marketing, and the administrator said revenue recommendations will return after vendor responses.
The engineering services committee voted to begin procurement for a downtown parking-management firm and directed the law department to draft any necessary code updates, the committee chair said.
Administrator Allen told the committee that staff met June 11 with stakeholders — the Downtown Development Authority, the Chamber of Commerce, Augusta Tomorrow and downtown business owners — and that the group reviewed a 2019 study and supported moving forward to procure a parking-management vendor. The administrator said the procurement will include requests for recommendations on rates and operational approaches.
Commissioners discussed potential uses of parking revenues. Administrator Allen said stakeholders suggested dedicating some revenue to downtown upkeep, downtown security and support for downtown organizations; she said the city will wait for vendor proposals and then return recommendations to the governing body for a policy decision. One commissioner, serving as the downtown commissioner, urged marketing of existing parking decks and suggested exploring strategies (deck-first promotions, shuttle options) to increase use of parking structures before expanding paid on‑street spaces.
The motion to initiate procurement and draft code updates passed with committee consent; the clerk recorded the vote as unanimous in committee. Further details on proposed rates, revenue allocations and vendor selection will be provided after procurement responses are evaluated and returned to the governing body for public consideration.
