Paid parking proceeding at ENMAX Centre as council defeats motion to rescind

Middleton-Hope also wanted to see city administration work with the ENMAX Centre to come up with alternative ways of generating revenue and report back to council on September 28.

He says there has not been a thorough cost-benefit analysis for the implementation of paid parking, both in terms of how much money it would generate and how much it would cost to enforce paid parking and install new parking meters.

“I am all for having the ENMAX Centre pay its way,” says Middleton-Hope. “I support initiatives that will underwrite the impact on the tax support that is provided to the ENMAX Centre, however, I am gravely concerned that the revenues that may be anticipated are overly optimistic.”

Councillor Ryan Parker lent his support to Middleton-Hope’s motion, saying that their May 3 decision to implement paid parking was highly controversial and generated a large number of complaints from the public.

Other members of council, on the other hand, felt differently.

Councillor Rajko Dodic says he wants to relieve the already-large pressure taxpayers are feeling. City staff confirmed that adding paid parking now would take $113,900 off of the backs of taxpayers this year as well as more than $341,000 over the next four years.

Councillor Jenn Schmidt-Rempel was of the opinion that, since paid parking at the ENMAX Centre has been in the city’s plans since the passing of a motion in December 2020, enough planning and consultations had been done that they should not be reversing course now.

Councillor Belinda Crowson noted that, despite the Lethbridge Hurricanes voicing steep opposition to paid parking following the May 2022 decision, nobody from the organization had spoken with any of the city’s Standing Policy Committees (SPC).

Hurricanes Board President Doug Paisley said they never spoke with any SPCs because they were not aware that SPCs were even a thing. The group also allowed executives with the ENMAX Centre to advocate on their behalf to the municipality.

Paisley went on to explain that the Hurricanes reached out to other WHL clubs who have had paid parking at some point. He says most have since rescinded paid parking because they found that it negatively impacted attendance and resulted in fewer people buying food, drinks, and merchandise, or contributing to charitable causes.

ENMAX Centre General Manager Kim Gallucci said, regardless of which direction city council would be taking on paid parking, his organization is researching other means of generating revenue so they can reduce their reliance on tax dollars.

In the end, Lethbridge City Council voted to defeat the motion to rescind the introduction of paid parking at the arena.

Voting “yes” to rescind paid parking were Councillors Middleton-Hope, Parker, Nick Paladino, and Mayor Blaine Hyggen. Councillors Dodic, Crowson, Schmidt-Rempel, Jeff Carlson, and Mark Campbell voted “no.”

by David Opinko

Paid parking proceeding at ENMAX Centre as council defeats motion to rescind

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