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Council to vote on renting downtown parking
Parking survey to go in October water bills
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The Platteville Common Council is scheduled to vote this week on a proposal to rent spaces in downtown parking lots.

Meanwhile, a survey on downtown parking will be included in the city’s October water bills, which will be able to be filled out online as well. The survey includes a question on whether downtown residents or employees who answer the survey are willing to pay $30 per month for a downtown parking spot, and whether city property owners are willing to pay higher property taxes to fund a parking ramp.

The Common Council’s Tuesday meeting agenda included a resolution to lease 92 spaces in five downtown lots for $30 per month in yearly leases.

The city’s Downtown Redevelopment Authority board recommended leasing about 30 spots, most of them along the east side of Rountree Avenue south of Pine Street.

The council’s resolution as it existed before Tuesday’s meeting expanded the RDA’s recommendation to 92 spots — 27 on Rountree Avenue, 26 in the Pine/Bonson lot, 21 in the lot at North Fourth Street and East Mineral Street, 11 in the lot at East Main Street and North Oak Street, and seven in the lot on North Fourth Street and East Furnace Street.

The survey’s questions that specifically apply to parking include a set of questions with possible answers ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree”:
•    “I find it difficult to find parking when I shop/do business in downtown Platteville.”
•    “If more parking were available, I would shop/do business in downtown Platteville more often.”
•    “I feel parking laws are adequately enforced in downtown Platteville.”
•    For downtown residents, “I live downtown and have difficulty finding overnight/long term parking in the downtown Platteville area.”

The survey also asks how far the respondent is willing to park — from less than one block to more than six blocks —- from a downtown destination. It also asks which kinds of parking need to be more available — 15-minute, two-hour, four-hour, 8- to 12-hour or 24-hour — downtown.

The survey asks an additional yes/no question of downtown residents or employees, whether they would be willing to pay $30 per month for an overnight or long-term parking permit. The survey also asks Platteville property owners if they would be willing to pay additional property taxes to fund a downtown parking ramp.

The survey will be conducted from Monday through Oct. 31. It will be available online at www.surveymonkey.com.