‘Those pesky orange envelopes bearing bad news to your windshield could soon be banished from downtown.

On the theory that free parking could drive more visitors downtown, Hollywood officials are studying the idea of ending parking fees on slow business days: Sunday through Wednesday.

“We should be putting out the welcome mat, not hurting ourselves by doing something counterproductive,” Mayor Peter Bober said.

It wouldn’t be cheap. The city figured to rake in $5.8 million next year through downtown parking-related revenues. Its budget calls for spending just as much, including $2.6 million for personnel, another $2.2 million for operations and $556,000 in parking garage costs. Free parking on Sundays alone would mean a $200,646 loss in annual meter revenues.’

Ihosvani Rodriguez

The Revenue question…is front an center with our neighbors also…here in LBTS…we are tabled once more…with a “straw Poll” in the next Topics Magazine…with the results coming on Dec. 16th….

BCbythesea…how about a “straw poll’ addition…on the entryway flags…entryway signs that were never voted on…and the Topics bi- monthly waste of money publication itself?

Why is it we were able to link up to the rip tide information so quickly …as we were informed of last night….but we can’t get linked up for an online “straw poll?”….

The audience for the 5 pm Workshop…and the feedback from the Chamber…take the bags off…but the die-hard…”bagman”…can’t take the leap of ending his “baby”…… so here we go again…

What a waste of an hour…a dozen came to participate…and the dais…well…they could have phoned it in…where they stand on the subject……same as the last time and the time before that…and the time before that…

What are they afraid of…listen to the staff…listen to those who came…listen to Chamber…and make a decision…

The Manager…. listed as one of the “major accomplishments” LBTS had last year …. decorative parking meters….YIKES!

Vice Mayor McIntee talked about the antiquated meters and boxes in the town…replacing them with the type that take credit cards…adjust the hours…cut down on personnel…not a new idea….but even borrowed…it has merit…only problem…why no foresight when these last ones were purchased….. and when the box was moved from Town Hall to El Prado still covered up…are those boxes meeting the same moldy fate as the bagged meters?…

Joan Garrett…our Parking Supervisor let that bombshell out last night…. the $2500 …fading blue eyesores are damaging the meters we have…with sweat and mold…building up underneath the covers…while costing the Town in man hours …bags on…bags off each week…not to mention…taking the enforcers eyes off the Friday night prime time…revenue tickets…(sorry LBTS parkers)…

Revenue is going to be found…if not with parking…how about….fire inspections!…..(WINK…WINK…from the Manager and Assistant to the Manager…last night )

more to come….