County Takes Over Courthouse Parking
Posted on 09-30-2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2010 |
Contact: Jessica Donald
Communications Specialist
208-287-6998
jdonald@adaweb.net |
County Takeover of Parking Brings Rate Relief
Patrons Will Once Again Get First Hour of Parking Free
(Boise, ID) – Today, the Board of Ada County Commissioners signed an agreement with the Capital City Development Corporation (CCDC), allowing the County to take control of the two parking garages east of the Courthouse in the Ada County Courthouse complex.
The Courthouse complex, located on W. Front Street in Boise, houses various County services, including the Ada County Assessor’s Office and Indigent Services, in addition to the multiple County offices located within the Courthouse building. The County’s acquisition of the two garages ensures future operation will continue to be under the County’s purview, and will in turn be in the best interest of taxpayers. This move on the part of Commissioners enables them to once again provide residents with their first hour of parking free when doing business in the Ada County Courthouse complex, effective tomorrow. Additionally, parking fees will be reduced to just one dollar per hour after the first hour, saving Courthouse patrons one-dollar and fifty cents per hour from what they were previously paying.
“We are thrilled to be in a position to again offer the first hour of parking free to those needing access to the Courthouse,” said Ada County Commissioner Rick Yzaguirre. “We’re also significantly reducing hourly rates after the first hour. We feel that County residents should be able to access the Courthouse without being unreasonably burdened, so we’ve worked to minimize the cost as much as possible.”
By assuming control of the Courthouse Complex parking garages, Ada County is foregoing parking revenues that CCDC was using to pay off Courthouse Complex development bonds. However, Courthouse patrons will save money, and will once again have a safe, convenient and affordable place to park when making a trip to the Courthouse.
“CCDC had to rely on annual revenues to operate and maintain the parking garages,” said Ada County Commissioner Sharon Ullman. “The County is not in the business of making money from the parking garages – we’re in the business of serving the public and doing what’s right for residents.”
The Board of County Commissioners has always been greatly concerned with the escalating cost of parking at the Courthouse. Now that the Courthouse Complex parking operations will be under the Board’s authority, the County can more easily control the cost to the public of utilizing these parking facilities.
“It has long been our goal to make parking at the Courthouse easier and more affordable for the public,” said Ada County Commission Chairman Fred Tilman. “Now that the first hour is free again, we hope it will help eliminate the problem of people parking elsewhere and jaywalking to get to the Courthouse.”