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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0578.018 1996-1998 Petroglyph Press, Ltd. ~~,~la~ Old Town Printers & Stationers Basically Books 160 Kamehameha Avenue • Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Phone (808) 935-8927 • Fax (808) 935-1553 ~ R[c~veD 3r- ~me..~_ . By..----------.: Dear Council Chairman, James Y. Arakaki oare..~ srsT~_-...-_.--. _ _ County Council~~nW ~~C This is a personal plea for your support of the upcoming resolution at the County Council Meeting of Public Works and Parks on June 15th to support the extension of the free pazking in downtown Hilo. You have an opportunity to do something positive for your hometown of Downtown Hilo. You have the support of a vast majority of the downtown merchants who feel that the free parking has had a positive effect on their businesses. Having to pay for parking is one of the few things that negatively sets downtown apart from the malls. The coming of the big box retailers has already and will continue to cause the demise of businesses throughout Hilo. It is time for you to help your downtown com- pete against this invasion. It is not so much the fact of having to pay for parking that is the deterrent to shopping downtown, but the overzealous ticketing of expired meters at $25 a pop which caused the permanent loss of customers. Years ago it was the Downtown Improvement Assoc. which convinced the County to buy the three wheelers in order to facilitate the enforcement of the time limits, not the expired meters. Even after years of repeated requests for this enforcement, it is not regularly done. Is it from a lack of money for chalk? This laxity leads to abuse by downtown employees who are not conscious of the need to reserve parking near stores for customers. It saddens us to hear that the rational for keeping the meters is the maintaining of three county jobs, especially in a time of economic woes statewide that has caused the loss of many jobs in the private sector. We, as business owners, have had to cut staffand personal compensation and feel strongly that government should do the same, thus lessening your burden onus. Many more jobs than three have been lost downtown because of the meters. Government must lessen the burden on small business if it ever expects to stop the bur- geoningbankruptcy rate and its decreasing revenues of taxes. We need to make a change that breaks these downwazd trends. We need positive feedback from our council which will allow those of us who remain in business to have a positive vision of the future of downtown. We need to be the "town who got rid of their meters". , ~w,,, N~ xa. Tk.F B,ef. g'rn P~assate~ R+at. Ill~1e dR! 2 4 t4aa Downtown has been continually afflicted with "public works" projects from the painting of the bridge to the now almost completed sewer project. Although we understand that these are necessary, sometimes it seems we aze a state that believes in welfare for con- tractors. We now need to feel that you are concerned with our welfare. We all know that the naysayers are the ones who seem to have plenty of time to speak against items that appear before you. Please be assured that we business owners down- town support not only the extension of the free parking but also the eventual removal of the meters. We however have no time, in our struggle to survive, to harass you with our views. Please be assured that if the meters make a return and tickets again harass our valued customers, we will make the time. The merchants of downtown made the removal of the meters their goal a yeaz ago last February when we asked ourselves the question "What is it that seems impossible today, that if we could change, would make a fundamental change tomorrow?" The answer was the removal of the dreaded parking meters. Many hours have since been spent to facilitate this goal and for it now to revert to the old ways will cause much dissatisfaction. It is now time for you to come to the aid of your hometown, Downtown Hilo, and not abandon us. Only with your helping us attain our vision of downtown can we continue positively on a path of revitalizing the most unique "Oldtown" in Hawaii. Sincere ~ GG~~ ~~~C David & Christine Reed P. S. If you aze in favor of the extension of free parking, we whole heartedly thank for your support. If not, please make the effort to visit downtown now, while the meters are still covered, to experience this special place. You may change your mind.