Colville City Council Votes to Dissolve Parking Commission

The Colville City Council met on May 12 and dissolved a downtown business improvement district originally designed to ensure adequate parking. Council members acted after seven citizens urged them to keep the improvement district as well as the city parking commission, an advisory body that the council also abolished. No one testified in favor of terminating the commission or the district during a public hearing before the vote, although 10 business owners and constituents reportedly voiced their approval to a council member prior to the meeting. The change is a matter of efficiency and tax relief, according to Mayor Jack Smith and council members. Public Works Department Director Dave Harper said they can take care of downtown parking without a commission or money from the improvement district. Formed in 1980, when the state banned parallel parking on Main Street, the district was created with the approval of 80% of property owners within its borders who agreed to assess businesses to acquire and maintain parking lots, according to city records. The most recent assessments, approved by the council in 2022, ranged from $18 per month (plus $3 for each employee after the first three) to $7.50 for an apartment. “The lots are heavily used: heavily used by customers, heavily used by employees, heavily used by everyone – we all benefit by having access to them,” said Andrew Ross, co-owner of Barman’s Gift and Home and the Alpine Theater. Ross, a parking commission member, said he believes downtown parking risks neglect if the public works department takes over. “It becomes a low priority until finally it becomes a non-priority,” Ross said. “These lots are critical to businesses.” Business improvement district supporters included the Washington State Trust For Historic Preservation. “Based on my experience working with downtown and community development efforts, dedicated funding tools like BIDs (Business Improvement Districts) play an important role in supporting healthy, vibrant downtowns,” Chris Moore, executive director for the Trust for Historic Preservation, wrote in a May 5 letter to the mayor and council. “They provide a consistent, locally-controlled source of funding that can be directed toward specific district needs.” The money had paid for weed control, striping parking spaces, snow removal, and lot acquisition. Assessments could be lowered and used for such things as improved lighting and tree management to prevent damage to sewers and roofs, district supporters said. Rosemary Shaw, executive director of Colville Together, warned that re-establishing the district, should the city change its mind, would not be easy or cheap under state law. “Consider very carefully whether you want to eliminate this BID,” Shaw told the council. “If you want to bring it back, it is going to be a ton of work.” Councilmember Muriel Meyer, the only member of the council who voted against abolishing the district and commission, noted that money from assessments could be used for lighting and other projects that would benefit the area. “If they’re (business owners) not opposed to paying the tax, I’m not sure why we would want to get rid of it,” Meyer said. The mayor said the council and the public works department can handle parking. “We’ve got a very firm footprint and knowledge here on the council about what the needs are in the downtown area,” Smith said. “And so we do the best we can to address them. What I got out of the public hearing was, ‘Are you going to lose touch, lose focus, let things go to hell?’ No.” Councilmember Robin Kurowski said the public works department is already taking care of parking lots, and it’s not fair to tax a small number of business owners for facilities that benefit everyone. “I would like to try to assure you that the parking lots downtown will not be slighted,” Kurowski told the audience. “You’re going to be watching and we’re going to be watching.” Councilmember Roxy Spengler said that Washingtonians are overtaxed. “I believe the business owners need a tax break,” Spengler said. “I am for removing it.” In an interview after the meeting, Spengler said that no constituents or business owners had asked her to take a position prior to the vote. Abolishing the business district was a matter of fairness, council member Kim Gallo said. “The city has the funds and the means to take care of what needs to be taken care of on parking lots, just like it does on streets, whether or not you agree with what we’ve done with streets,” Gallo said. “To tax someone for using a parking lot is not okay, just as it probably wasn’t okay in 1979.” Times are tough in Colville, Gallo added. “It’s hard on business right now,” Gallo said. “When the government has an opportunity to alleviate a tax burden from its businesses, it has a responsibility to do that.” In an interview after the meeting, Gallo said that a total of 10 business owners and constituents had asked her to vote in favor of abolishing the business district and parking commission.