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Commissioner Johnson - Public Works - To Appropriate Funds from the Gaston County Courthouse Parking Lot Fund Balance to Hire a Consulting Firm and Negotiate and Execute a Contract for Parking Lot Operations Analysis ($50,000)
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STAFF CONTACT
Dan Ziehm, PE - Public Works Director - 704-862-6795
BUDGET IMPACT
budget
Appropriate Courthouse Parking Lot Fund Balance. No additional County funds.
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BUDGET ORDINANCE IMPACT
N/A
BACKGROUND
The Gaston County Courthouse opened in 1998. As the County has grown, managing parking on behalf of residents and employees has become a challenge. Parking in the Courthouse lot was managed with the use of paid parking from 2007 through 2022, with free parking available in surrounding lots. As of June 2022, parking has been free in the courthouse lot, per Resolution 2022-146.
Staff research has determined that the six (6) NC Counties, which are more densely populated than Gaston County, charge parking fees and manage parking access at and around their courthouses.
In order to determine the best parking management approach, Gaston County Public Works proposes to hire an engineering or parking consultant firm for a comprehensive analysis including traffic flows, access for employees and the public, and possible fee structures.
Approval of this Board Action would appropriate $50,000 from the Courthouse Parking Lot Fund Balance for the purposes of this analysis. Further, this Board Action will allow the County Manager, or her designee, to negotiate and execute a contract with a firm to perform the analysis described above and deliver recommendations.
POLICY IMPACT
N/A
ATTACHMENTS
Budget Change Request (BCR)