Clarkston City Council member Eric Haven, at right, makes a point about parking, as council members Sharron Catallo and Jason Kneisc listen. Photo by Phil Custodio

BY PHIL CUSTODIO
Clarkston News Editor
The city will soon be the owner of a paid-parking kiosk after a contentious, split-decision vote of City Council, Monday.
“Is this the only option? Yeah, it’s the only option,” said council member Rick Detkowski, the swing vote in the 4-3 decision. “I don’t see any other choice.”
Detkowski, Mayor Steven Percival, and council members Eric Haven and Sue Wylie voted “yes” at the Aug. 28 meeting.
Voting “no” were council members Sharron Catallo, Jason Kneisc, and David Marsh.
Marsh said the vote could lead down a slippery slope to paid parking in the entire city, as other private lot owners switch over to preserve parking for their customers.
“This is a difficult decision,” he said. “We obviously need revenue. But by this one vote we could change Clarkston forever. How much money is it worth to do that?”
The city Parking Committee met last Wednesday, but was not ready to propose a recommendation to council, said Detkowski, who is a member of the committee.
Kneisc, who is also a committee member, said the council should wait for the committee’s recommendation.
“Voting ‘yes’ is a slap to Rick’s face, the committee’s face,” Kneisc said. “This is not a dictatorship. Do you trust the parking committee or do you trust the chair?”
“That’s not what’s happening,” Percival said. “For 18 months, we’ve allowed the process to work.”
The mayor said the committee has done and continues to do a phenomenal job, but it’s time for council to make a decision.
“We probably need to move on this sooner than later,” he said. “The funds we’re losing on a monthly basis – $60-70 thousand we could have had generated.”
“I’d like to see things move forward,” Haven said. “I see one glaring truth here. We need revenue – let’s go and get some revenue for this village, not from residents but from people coming into town because they love it.”
Curt Catallo, owner of Union Joints in Clarkston, said paid parking in the city lot would mean more people who aren’t customers parking in his lots, looking for free parking.
“Unfortunately if you go with paid parking we will have no choice but to go into the parking business,” Curt said.
The restaurateur said the plan makes the city into a “money vampire,” sticking a “blood funnel into anything smelling like money.” Percival called for proper etiquette.
“Let’s have a little bit of decorum and order,” the mayor said.
Sharron Catallo, Curt’s mother, said they should delay the vote again to give the parking committee more time to research ways to increase parking, and refer the revenue issue to the budget committee.
According to the resolution, the city will purchase the parking kiosk from Harvey Electronics and Radio for $8,500. With delivery and installation, the total cost is $9,775. Included in the vote to buy the kiosk was a provision that all parking revenue would be used to pay for parking lot maintenance.
A proposal by City Manager Jonathan Smith for paid parking at Washington and Main includes $1 per hour for the lot’s 58 spaces, with all other parking in the city remaining free.
A part-time parking enforcement officer would be employed for safety and parking space turnover, Smith proposed.
The parking committee will discuss the details at future meetings.