City Council to consider ordinance clarifying requirements for privately operated paid parking lots
Published on
The Huntsville City Council introduced an ordinance at its June 11 meeting aimed at reducing confusion surrounding privately owned parking lots that offer public parking for a fee.
Many downtown businesses make their private parking lots available to the public, providing additional and convenient parking options.
“Downtown Huntsville continues to grow as a destination for dining, shopping and entertainment, and accessible parking plays a major role in that success,” said Ron Poteat, CEO of Downtown Huntsville, Inc. “When multiple events overlap, the additional parking that our downtown businesses provide helps ensure residents and visitors can still enjoy everything the area has to offer.”
While the additional parking is welcome, the City has received complaints from drivers who received a boot, tow or parking notice from a private operator and mistakenly believed the action had been taken by the City.
To help provide greater clarity for motorists and businesses, the proposed ordinance would establish signage and notification requirements for privately operated paid parking lots. At a minimum, these requirements would include:
- Clearly stating that the parking lot is privately owned and operated.
- Identifying that parking fees are established and collected by the private property owner, not the City of Huntsville.
- Explaining that enforcement actions, including towing and wheel-locking, are carried out by the property owner or its contractor.
- Ensuring that receipts, invoices and notices clearly indicate they are issued by a private entity and not a governmental authority.
“Any time we can make life easier for residents, I am proud to be a part of that effort,” Huntsville City Council Member Bill Kling said. “This ordinance will help reduce confusion about parking in the downtown area. We appreciate businesses that make their parking lots available to the public, and this measure should provide greater clarity for both motorists and property owners.”
The ordinance will be introduced at this week’s City Council meeting. A final vote is scheduled for the June 25 regular City Council meeting.
