Enmax paid parking decision survives council split vote

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on June 8, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

A motion by councillor John Middleton-Hope to rescind paid parking at the Enmax Centre was defeated by a 5-4 vote Tuesday.
Middleton-Hope said after the meeting he respects council’s decision.
He said costs associated with the $5 parking plan haven’t been considered including the costs of the parking kiosks, enforcement and the signage neighbouring businesses and a church may have to purchase.
Middleton-Hope’s motion called for council to rescind all previous decisions to proceed with paid parking at the arena with the exception of its sponsorship decision of April 26 and to direct administration to report back through the Economic Standing Policy Commetting meeting on Septg, 28 with additional viable options to generate revenue taking into consideration a more thorough cost-benefit analysis and that any resulting tax pressure be referred to the November Economic Standing Police Committee budget deliberations meeting.
Midldleton-Hope said during debate that the public hasn’t adequately been engaged. Other councillors pointed out the Lethbridge Hurricanes had opportunities to address paid parking impact on their operations at SPC meetings but failed to ask for an opportunity to speak.
Council would have required a two thirds vote to repeal its decision and have administration pursue other options.
Mayor Blaine Hyggen and councillors Nick Paladino and Ryan Parker supported Middleton-Hope in his effort to have the decision rescinded.
Board president Doug Paisley and general manager of business operations Terry Huisman of the Hurricanes spoke about the impact of parking on their operations. Huisman also expressed appreciation to council for twice deferring the team’s annual payment of $167,000 to the City for use of the Enmax Centre.
When asked by councillor Rajko Dodic why the team didn’t use a standing policy committee to address their concerns which would have given a chance for others to speak about parking, Paiseley said the team was staying in its own lane, doing a dialogue with the Enmax Centre. He said the team was caught by surprise when council voted to approve parking at the arena.
Councillor Jenn Schmidt-Rempel said paid parking was approved in 2020 and was moving forward, saying nobody from the hockey team came to an SPC and she couldn’t support her colleague’s motion.
Crowson reiterated Schmidt-Rempel’s comments that nobody from the WHL team attended an SPC meeting to have its concerns heard.
Councillor Ryan Parker said there could be bitterness by Canes fans about parking and the hassle of using the kiosks and suggested instead a $1-2 surcharge on all tickets sold at the Enmax as a form of local improvement charge, an idea Middleton-Hope said he agreed with.
After the vote, Middleton-Hope said outside council chambers he feels the matter is now closed.
Jeff Carlson called the parking fee a tax reduction initiative and he was standing with taxpayers.
He suggested if the parking fee was divided by a van load of nine people the cost per each person attending an event at the arena would be minimal.
Rajko Dodic called the Canes an important tenant but “at some point we have to look at both sides of the picture.

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