A new parking attendant will be hired for a four-month pilot parking project in the District of Mission.
Council has approved a plan to focus on parking issues at the Mission Sports Park area and the downtown core.
According to a staff report, the project is a short-term plan focused on providing some immediate relief to address parking violations during the busy summer season.
The issue was initially discussed in December 2016, when a delegation to council raised concerns about illegal parking on Oyama Street, during the evenings and weekends when sports activities are taking place at the adjacent Mission Sports Park.
The Mission Downtown Business Association also advised staff that illegal parking must be considered a priority.
Mission Mayor Randy Hawes said there are problems downtown with people leaving their cars there all day, and also street parking issues where so many cars are parked, it’s difficult to negotiate the street.
The project, which will run from June 1 to Oct. 1, would see one dedicated parking enforcement person hired. The new employee would provide additional eyes on the streets, linked directly to the bylaw enforcement division and RCMP efforts, thereby increasing visibility and compliance.
The report says “the goal of the project will be to generate more compliance but not to be aggressive and focused on revenue generation.”
The project is expected to be revenue neutral as the costs will be offset by the additional ticket revenue.