WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- Wilmington City Council looked at the issue of parking in the city, passing an ordinance to spend just over $130,000 to pay operating expenses and help city parking decks pay debt.
The council also addressed the parking deck on Water street, the structure is not in good condition and the council debated spending almost $670,000 versus just putting the property on the market.
It's a double edged sword,” Councilman Charlie Rivenbark said. “You spend the money now, we have liability issues to concern ourselves with and Councilman O'Grady pointed out that it might be a while before we get a development of private public partnership so in the mean time we've got to spend some money.”
The ordinance on the Water street deck passed but not unanimously so it will be voted on again at the next city council meeting.
Government-owned "businesses"...
Parking decks. Either they pay their own way, or let private enterprise own/operate them.
Parking Deck
In 2007 the city paid over $4 million for a piece of land downtown and 2.7 million for the deck it sold in the 90's. The plan was for a park.
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20120616/ARTICLES/120619757 instead of giving raises to city employees.
City employees (firefighters) asked for a raise instead.
http://www.wwaytv3.com/firefighters_denied_pay_increase/06/2007
Now we are spending more money to keep a 50 year old piece of concrete standing.