KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A local business owner spoke at a Keene City Council finance committee meeting Thursday about the city’s parking system and its impact on downtown commerce.
Jaida Carland, who owns The Gilded Mane, a barbershop on Winter Street, urged committee members to address what she described as prohibitive parking rates and enforcement practices. She argued that the high costs discourage visitors, strain small businesses, and place an undue burden on employees and lower-income residents.
“Parking tickets and fees feel like a tax on small businesses,” Carland read from a letter she’d written to council members, emphasizing that many downtown employees, particularly tipped workers earning $3.75 per hour, struggle to afford the costs.
Carland detailed that quarterly parking garage fees range from $175 to $350, while parking tickets cost $4 each. She cited alternative parking programs in cities like Portsmouth and Burlington as potential models, proposing employee and residential sticker systems to reduce costs.
Carland also raised safety concerns, pointing to inadequate lighting and the impact of homelessness near parking facilities. She said many of the downtown businesses operate into the evening, which means employees are leaving late at night and having to walk to areas that attract the homeless.
She presented a petition with nearly 300 signatures from residents calling for reforms.
Other speakers echoed Carland’s concerns. Downtown business owner Dorrie Masten shared experiences of feeling unsafe in downtown parking areas and called for public engagement on solutions, particularly as reconstruction of the downtown area approaches.
City Manager Elizabeth Dragon acknowledged the community’s frustrations, stating that parking fees fund the self-sustaining system, including enforcement salaries. Dragon outlined several ongoing evaluations, including expanded enforcement hours, the introduction of employee and residential parking programs, and safety improvements such as enhanced lighting.
Dragon also addressed broader safety issues tied to homelessness near parking facilities, citing ongoing efforts to manage encampments and collaborate with state programs.
Council members committed to exploring several measures, including a downtown employee parking program with reduced fees; implementing a residential parking program with discounted rates; and enhancing lighting and security in parking areas.
The committee unanimously recommended referring the matter to the city manager who will do some work on it and come back with some proposals.
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