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Romeo trustees cut business pilot parking fee to $100 after widespread public outcry
Summary
After hours of public comment and a DDA appeal, the Romeo Board of Trustees voted to reduce the business pilot payment-in-lieu-of-parking fee to $100 and to reconvene a parking subcommittee with the DDA for further evaluation and metrics collection.
The Romeo Board of Trustees voted March 17 to reduce the village's business pilot payment-in-lieu-of-parking fee to $100 after sustained public criticism and a formal request from the Downtown Development Authority.
The change came after a DDA representative opened the meeting's special presentation urging the board to "amend the current ordinance to permanently eliminate the pilot fees," and dozens of residents and business owners described negative impacts since the paid-parking system went live. The board's motion, made by Trustee Care and supported by Trustee Edwards, passed with no recorded opposition.
Why it matters: The pilot fee affects how new downtown businesses are charged for perceived parking demand and is tied to a broader effort to manage limited parking supply without raising taxes. Proponents including the DDA say a modest fee helps fund parking management and encourages turnover; opponents say the fee deters customers, harms small merchants and was implemented without sufficient public outreach.
Residents and business owners voiced frustration during a long public-comment period. Sharen Smith said she had asked repeatedly for a town hall before implementation and urged trustees to "undo this mess," saying many customers had already shifted to neighboring towns. Dr. Scott McLoud told the board he had seen "thousands" of social-media comments opposing paid parking and implored officials to "stop paid parking in Romeo now." Mike, who identified himself as owner of Tech City Electronics, said signage, language access and the app's limits for customers with flip phones left many unable to comply.
Several downtown advocates, including DDA board member Marty Hutnick, acknowledged mistakes in the rollout. Hutnick, who said he initially voted for the plan, later said he concluded the proposal was "misleading," arguing projected revenue of about $60,000 a year would not meaningfully cover the large parking investments the village had discussed.
The DDA's chair, Andrea St Lawrence, told trustees the DDA had administered the program at no cost to the village and asked whether the village could maintain parking lots without pilot fees. DDA board member Danielle Lee urged the board to weigh long-term benefits and warned that eliminating the fee without an alternative revenue source could force higher taxes.
After public comment, trustees discussed options for a measured approach. The board voted to reduce the pilot fee to $100, asked the parking subcommittee to reconvene, and agreed to ask SEMCOG and consultant Plante Moran for data metrics to evaluate impacts (usage, origin of visitors, frequency, and business activity). Trustees said they would coordinate with the DDA at its April 7 meeting and aim to establish a timeline for re-evaluation.
What the board acted on: The reduction to $100 was approved during the meeting; trustees explicitly said they were not eliminating the pilot ordinance that night because procedural rules prevented adding certain agenda items for an immediate vote. The board authorized further study and subcommittee work to set a data-driven review period.
Next steps: The board expects the parking subcommittee and the DDA to compile usage metrics and return recommendations; trustees discussed re-evaluating the program after a set monitoring period and asked for clearer signage, Spanish-language materials and clarification on enforcement and citation amounts.
