Town officials last week voted to institute again a $10 fee for commuters seeking to retain their places on waitlists for coveted municipal parking permits in New Canaan.
Following approval from the selectmen, the New Canaan Parking Bureau last fall sent out 1,281 letters to those on any of three waiting lists for the Richmond Hill, Talmadge Hill and Lumberyard Lots, according to Parking Superintendent Stacy Miltenberg. The idea was to “clean up” the lists by dropping anyone who had moved out of town or otherwise had no reason to remain on them, and it worked, Miltenberg said.
“This year, 636 [letters] are going out,” she told members of the Parking Commission at their Nov. 9 meeting, held at Town Hall.
“So we definitely cleaned [the lists] up, a big difference,” she said.
Commissioners Keith Richey, Pamela Crum, Peter Ogilvie and Chris Hering voted 4-0 to reinstitute the fee. Commissioner Stuart Stringfellow was absent.
In weighing whether to send out the letters again, Ogilvie asked whether there was any reason not to.
“There is an administrative cost—your time—and postage, but that is, I think, minimal,” Ogilvie said.
Crum noted that the time to manage the project should take less time than last year.
Richey said: “It really worked, to clean the list.”
Is there a way to identify those on the waitlist that presently have a spot, but are looking to change? For example, may have a spot at Talmadge Hill but are continuing on the waitlist for a lumberyard spot?