One downtown Clarkston business owner is concerned about the lack of available parking spaces for customers.
The Clarkston City Council on Feb. 14 reviewed a letter from Claudia Jakus of Clarkston Travel Bureau on N. Main Street. At least part of the blame, Jakus wrote, goes to other business people using on-street parking.
Jakus wrote of seeing more business owners using Washington Street spaces for the entire day, despite a two-hour limitation on many spaces.
‘To me our main objective collectively as business owners should be to make it as convenient as possible for our patrons and not to drive them away because they cannot find a place to park,? Jakus wrote. ‘I don’t think any business in the village ‘owns? their parking space.?
Jakus? letter said she previously visited the city police station to request better enforcement of the two-hour only parking spaces.
‘I do not think we need to make any change in the rules, but just enforce them,? Jakus wrote.
At the city council meeting, Police Chief Ernest Combs promised action.
‘She did not have conversation with me personally,? Combs said, but, ‘I will have an officer get on this right away.?
Council members talked of long-standing parking abuses by various parties, with an audience member claiming to know of some downtown employees coming out ‘in unison? to move their vehicles to another two-hour space to avoid a ticket.
DPW Director Bob Pursley admitted the loss of three on-street parking spaces when the street was repaved and restriped according to legal measurements.
He reported parking abuses at other times, however, including failure to obey restrictions at night and during snow emergencies.
‘A lot of it is enforcement,? Pursley said.
The council did consider sending a letter to all downtown businesses asking for cooperation in protecting parking spaces for customers.