STARKVILLE — Paid parking in Starkville has been suspended.
Aldermen voted in September to contract with third-party parking service ParkMobile, making the majority of parking spots in The Cotton District and Midtown subject to user payment. After pushback from residents, the city is temporarily removing the paid-parking requirement until its next board meeting May 3.
Mayor Lynn Spruill said the purpose of the suspension is to get more information to the public about the usage of ParkMobile and see if there are ways to get it better disseminated.
She said she is working with Starkville Police Department Public Information Officer Brandon Lovelady to create a flier to give out to residents and see if ParkMobile has other signs to put around the city.
“We’re going to see if there is some larger signage that ParkMobile has and see if we can get those to swap out, at least for the interim,” Spruill said.
Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver, who has been vocal about his disapproval of ParkMobile, said he wants to eliminate paid parking altogether and plans to bring a motion forward at the May 3 board meeting to remove it, giving each alderman the opportunity to give their stance on the issue.
“I don’t think paid parking needs to happen right now,” Carver said. “There is a lot of chatter on social media, and it doesn’t matter if I win or lose, but Starkville is going to suffer from having this.”
Some residents on social media have asked if the $25 tickets already issued from not paying to park will be nullified, but Spruill said that matter will be up to the municipal judge.
The Starkville Main Street Association voted in 2019 in support of bringing paid parking to The Cotton District, citing that business owners and stakeholders wanted more customer turnover and a balance of available parking for retail purposes. Spruill posted this letter of support on social media Thursday saying the decision to bring in paid parking was not only the city’s idea, but also backed by the Main Street Association.
The letter originally asked for metered parking, but Spruill said using ParkMobile would not only be consistent with Mississippi State University but also not create problems on sidewalks.
Carver said while this letter had support in 2019, he believes things have changed since due to the COVID-19 pandemic and more usage of online shopping. He said he has talked to several business owners saying they might have wanted paid parking before but are not supportive of it now.
“They’re doing all they can to keep their doors open, and I can’t find a consensus for business owners who are vocally supportive of it,” Carver said.
Ward 4 Alderman Mike Brooks, whose ward includes The Cotton District, said he is working with Spruill and SPD to create more educational opportunities surrounding paid parking, citing he believes having ParkMobile will be beneficial to the city.
“(Keeping the paid parking) is definitely the right thing to do,” Brooks said. “Let’s just step back for just a few minutes and reassess the whole situation.”
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