A lot of monthly parking permit holders are fuming over the City of Timmins enforcing a little-known section of the parking bylaw in the lot at Algonquin and Cedar.
They’re being ticketed under the provision that they can only park in spots designated for permit holders.
“There are 36 spaces which are identified with signage in the parking lot,” says city clerk Steph Palmateer.
Most of those spots are under the billboards, and the rest are for two-hour pay-and-display parking.
“Because of its convenience and location to downtown businesses,” Palmateer explains, “it’s to allow for customer turnover to support downtown businesses.”
Conversely, he says anyone without a permit who parks in one of those spots will also be fined.
“It’s up to the driver of the vehicle to make sure that they’re parking in accordance with the bylaws. So yes, if you’re in the monthly permit spots with a pay-and-display, you will receive a ticket, and if you’re a monthly permit holder parking in the two-hour pay-and-display, you will also get a ticket.”
He says the 36 designated spaces are first come, first served.
“So if you pull in there and you’re a monthly permit holder and they are filled, you would have to go to one of the other municipal parking lots available that allow for monthly permit holders to park.”
Those would be at Spruce and Algonquin, beside Timmins Transit, and on Third Avenue between Birch and Maple. They have no designated spaces.
Palmateer pledges that from now on, Service Timmins will advise people of the restrictions in the Algonquin and Cedar lot when they buy their permits.