After 3+ months of free downtown Chico parking, fees might return soon

One Northern California city council will decide whether to reinstate parking fees during phase three of Governor Gavin Newsom's reopening plan.

Northern california city council will decide whether to reinstate parking fees during phase three of governor gavin newsom's reopening plan.

Parking has been free since the start of this pandemic... action news now reporter jafet serrato is live in chico... what do we need to know?

Chico city leaders tell me one reason they are considering bringing back a parking fee - is because too many people are parking in the fre* spaces... meant for customers.

And some downtown businesses are hurting financially.

What does the fee change mean?

Depending on where you park in downtown chico... you will have to pay at least 50 cents an hour for parking.

It was march 25th that the city council decided to waive all parking fees - to encourage people to support the downtown area as fewer people were going out during the stay- at-home order.

I asked some... what they think of the possibility of the return of parking fees.

Dunbar: "i think people are willing to go back to the way it used to be.

I was a little bummed that it went up in price but it wouldn't discourage me if there was a store i wanted to go to."

Boyer: "i like not having to pay the parking fees so yeah lets keep the parking fees away."

"generally you'll see that money go towards the parking garage improvements and sidewalk improvements and cleaning the sidewalks, we can't use it for much anything else."

The city council will decide at 6 o clock tonight whether to bring back thse parking fees.

Originally downtown parking fees were suspended until mid august.

Now the proposal is to bring back parking fees on july 13th - which falls on a monday.

Live in chico jafet serrato action news now coverage you can count on!

Parking fee revenue typically generates one million dollars a year for the city.

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