GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Parking rates at Green Bay garages will double from $1 per hour to $2 per hour for a few days during the NFL Draft, if approved by the city council. Parking at one Green Bay park could cost $50 per day.
- Hear why parking rate increases are on the table for Green Bay's Common Council meeting next week
- Public Works Director Steve Grenier says the department will be busy all weekend long, running street sweepers every night and putting staff on duty to pick up litter
- One City alderperson calls the rates at the downtown parking garages the best deal in town
- Read our earlier coverage of this story here
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story with additional details for the web)
A Green Bay city committee has voted to raise parking rates in city garages during the NFL Draft. I'm Pari Apostolakos downtown where rates at garages like this one could double.
Watch Pari Apostolakos' full broadcast story below:
"We are anticipating a significant upturn in the demand for service," city of Green Bay Public Works Director Steve Grenier said. He told me that's why rates in the three downtown parking garages would double from $1 per hour to $2 per hour. Which means, the maximum daily rate will increase from $12 to $24 dollars a day on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Draft week.
Grenier says the increased fees will help the city pay extra staff to monitor the parking garages.
"We're going to have more staff on for longer periods of time given the nature and the amount of downtown events that are going to be happening," he said.
People with monthly passes to the three city garages would not have to pay the extra fee and parking would still be free after 6 p.m. Parking would remain free on the weekend.
The parking rate at street meters would not change, because Grenier says it would cost more to change the rate on the hundreds of street meters than they would make back in parking fees.
"So it would have been a self-defeating proposal," Grenier said.
City Councilwoman Melinda Eck is on the committee which approved the proposed increase. She says a temporary $2 per hour parking fee is reasonable considering the activities the city is providing for free.
"There's going to be free bussing from downtown Green Bay to the Draft," Eck said. "So, honestly, I think it's the best deal in town."
Eck is on another committee which voted to approve charging $50 per day to park at Colburn Park on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the NFL Draft week. She says the committee chose to approve that amount based on what other private businesses near Colburn Park will be charging.
Grenier says the parking service is not funded by taxes, but rather the parking fees and citation revenue. The resolution will go to the full city Common Council for a final vote next week.
