In a classic case of “No good deed goes unpunished,” the Sarasota City Commission is still taking heat from some residents even after it did a U-turn on changing the paid parking hours in downtown and other areas.
For example, attendees disrupted and walked out of an “open house” session held last week by the city commission to take questions on paid parking.
You know, the same open house that took place a few weeks after the commission had already done exactly what the upset people wanted by reversing a policy that extended paid parking hours to midnight seven days a week.
And who knows what may happen Monday when the commissioners hold a workshop session on paid parking?
Which leads to a simple question I have for the ticked-off residents:
What's
wrong with just declaring victory and moving on?
City crumbled like a wet paper bag
I mean, let’s just look at the timeline here:
In May, the city moved to extend paid parking hours to midnight from 8 p.m. as a way to raise revenue for the parking division and fund future maintenance and projects.
In late June, the new policy began.
In mid-July – after hearing complaints from downtown churches, businesses and others – the city commissioners decided to reconsider the new policy.
In early August, the city dropped the changes and went back to providing free parking after 8 p.m.
So in a relatively short period of time, our city politicians:
- Enacted a paid parking plan that many residents clearly didn’t like.
- Spent a few weeks listening to complaints about it.
- Predictably crumbled like a wet paper bag and dropped the new policy, despite the mounds of research that showthe benefits of extended paid parking hours – and the reality that nearby cities like Tampa haven't collapsed because they charge to park until midnight.
So what else needs to happen here, still-enraged folks of Sarasota?
Why not put down the pitchforks?
Why not just take "yes" for an answer already?
When it comes to arguing over paid parking hours in Sarasota, it’s time to kick the complaints to the curb.
Opinion Editor Roger Brown can be reached at roger.brown@heraldtribune.com. Follow him on X at RBrown_HTOpin.
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota caved in on parking. Why is everyone still angry? | Opinion
