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Pay parking cut despite higher than forecast revenues

parking Revenue 45 per cent higher than anticipated
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Keeping her word Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden and councillors kept their campaign promises at a special council meeting last week where they removed pay parking from Lots 4 and 5. photo by alison taylor

Higher than expected parking revenues are fast flowing into municipal hall, bulking up municipal coffers these past seven weeks, but that's all about to change.

Bowing to popular demand, and as per their own election promises, council is rolling back pay parking in day lots 4 and 5, wiping out over $300,000 in potential revenue, if not more judging by the strong performance in the first month of operations.

It's not official yet, but if all goes according to council's plan free village parking will be back on December 21, the day after Tuesday's council meeting. After that time, the municipality will release information about how pass holders will be able to get rebates on their passes.

With that early Christmas present on the horizon, drivers from Emerald Estates to Surrey gave ready praise for council this week.

"I think what they've done is right," said Paul Sparrow of the Lower Mainland.

"After the cost of the season's pass, it didn't seem right (to charge for parking too)."

Sparrow has been to Whistler three times this season, parking at Creekside each time where it's free.

He prefers to ski on Blackcomb Mountain so after December 21, when the lots turn free again, he'll be parking back in the village and spending some time there after his day of skiing.

That's why Marty Taylor, general manager of the BrewHouse, is excited about the new parking changes — seeing more skiers and visitors and locals back in the village.

"Any time we see a situation where our guests can have a little bit of value added, I think it's great for everybody," he said. "And certainly pay parking was something that the community was torn over... I understand that things need to be paid for but it's a tough time right now here in the village and in Whistler and in the province and any time that there's an opportunity to catch a break, I think it's good. It doesn't always pay the bills but there are certainly some smiling faces I think going 'wow I don't have to shell out 10 bucks to park up there today.'"

And that's the rub.

While it may put smiles on the faces of local drivers and village business owners and regional skiers, it has added another layer of challenge to the already challenged municipal budget.

In a briefing memo to the new council to help make its decision, Bob MacPherson, general manager of community life at the municipality, outlined how after one month of operations, in November 2011, day lot revenue was 45 per cent higher than anticipated in the model.

More than $51,000 came in, excluding monthly passes, about $16,000 higher than anticipated on the books. At the same time more than 300 passes were sold with a value of $40,000.

The municipality was on track to break its targets of about $1 million in lot revenue for the year — this at a time when the municipality is struggling to balance its books with things such as the significant budget shortfalls in transit.

The Parking Lot Operating Committee, with two representatives from Whistler Blackcomb and two from municipal staff, met on the morning following council's decision last week.

"I'm not sure that we think that's the best decision (to rollback pay parking in Lots 4 and 5)," said Doug Forseth of Whistler Blackcomb who is on the committee, "but it's the popular decision to make. It's where this community wants to go."

The committee is recommending some tweaks to council's resolution, including a request that the municipality continue to sell passes for Lots 1, 2 and 3, which will remain pay parking.

The first lot, closest to the base of the mountains and the premium choice, will be $15 per day year 'round, whereas Lots 2 and 3 will be $8 per day. All lots are expected to be free after 5 p.m.

"None of us liked all the controversy and hassle," said Forseth, of the long, drawn-out process of implementing pay parking in the day lots. "We were just trying to do our job. I think the solution that's been put forward... I think it's a fair...'compromise' to recognize that there are operating costs for the lots, regardless if they're pay or free... Anything less than pay parking in 1, 2 or 3 would not have done that."

Forseth said the revenues from those lots will now likely cover the costs to operate the day lots and pay back some of the capital costs.

But there will be no money left over for transportation or for a long-term savings fund for future upgrades to the lots, as planned.

Mayor Nancy Wilhelm-Morden is confident she can find the "lost" money when council begins tackling the budget.

"Obviously, this resolution does not achieve what I promised the community," she said at last week's council meeting, referring to her promise of making Lots 2-5 free.

She called this a "compromise."

"That happens in politics," she said.

After the meeting the mayor added: "We've got so many people coming up from the Lower Mainland. It's our busiest time of year and I really wanted to get that message out, particularly to the Lower Mainland, that Whistler is open for business again."

That's music to the ears of the president of the Whistler Chamber of Commerce Fiona Famulak.

She's not fully apprised of the parking situation but what's she's heard so far, she likes.

"Just based on the headlines I've read so far, we're pleased," said Famulak. "We welcome the mayor's and council's decision of last week to reverse pay parking of 4 and 5 and that's because in early March of this year we heard through a survey that our members were quite concerned of the impact of user pay parking on business. We couldn't prove it specifically; there was a lot of anecdotal information.

"(This decision) addresses the affordability issues for sure in encouraging visitation to the village and we're looking forward to seeing what the impact is on business over Christmas."