Two Banff councillors dropped a bombshell on the controversial paid parking issue earlier this week, arguing a planned plebiscite on Oct. 16 election day should be scrapped and the debate dealt with as an election issue.
On Monday (June 12), council voted 4-3 to postpone a decision on a paid parking ballot question until June 26 to consider Councillor Grant Canning’s move, backed by Coun. Stavros Karlos, to eliminate the paid parking question from the ballot.
Canning argued much has changed regarding parking since a 2014 decision to hold a plebiscite on the matter, and that this ballot decision would hamper the efforts of future councils to continue seeking parking solutions for the community.
He said he believes user paid parking should be and will be an election issue, adding every candidate who runs in the election will be expected to explain their position on the controversial issue.
“I think it is more effective to address this issue by letting the community decide based upon whom they support during the upcoming election,” he said.
“The seven successful candidates will be given a mandate to advocate for their positions at the council table. That is representative democracy.”
Paid parking is only part of a much larger issue, which includes transportation, traffic management, transit and residential street parking, said Canning, who noted it’s difficult to address only paid parking without careful consideration of the effects it will have on the other components.
“The other related issues include traffic flows, availability of parking spots, intercept parking lots and shuttles, increased and more frequent transit, among many others,” he said.
Banff Residents Against Paid Parking (BRAPP) want to see a plebiscite go ahead, but the group wants the question on the ballot to be simple.
“BRAPP still expects a plebiscite as that is what was promised. Mayor and council need to stop skirting around the issue,” said Alanna Pettigrew, a BRAPP spokesperson.
“The question needs to be plain and simple – without any qualifiers. ‘Do you agree with user pay parking –yes or no’. We want our say before we pay.”
Pettigrew points to a 2014 petition signed by more than 1,400 residents opposed to paid parking.
“We did our due diligence and we expect the same in return,” she said.
In 2014, council committed to bring user pay parking, a new parkade and an intercept lot to a vote of the electors as part of the general election in 2017. It was at Karlos’ suggestion, and Canning was the only councillor who didn’t support that.
But Karlos, who is a vocal supporter of paid parking, said he was wrong to have made that motion and supports Canning’s motion to scrap the plebiscite. He moved to postpone to give other councillors a chance to think about how to move ahead.
Karlos said he would much rather see a commitment to a round table or to a task force, or something else that can lead to engagement of a wider group of people on how to deal with Banff’s congestion problems, looking at all possible solutions.
“Whether or not you are choosing to run in the upcoming election, I’m begging make this an election issue and have the bravery to share your vision of our future community with the community,” he said.
“There’s a need to discuss it and debate it in a kind and thoughtful way with everybody. A simple ‘yes or no’ question is not going to lead to genuine discussion. It will lead to an answer that binds future councils.”
It’s no secret where Karlos stands on paid parking.
“Right now every one of us pays for parking out of our property taxes. I think that’s fundamentally wrong. I don’t want to pay for parking anymore on my property taxes. I want to see it up front,” he said.
“This isn’t just about my war about cars, although part of it is, but I think what we have here now is detrimental to our community.”
Councillors Canning, Brian Standish and Ted Christensen supported Karlos’ move to postpone, while Mayor Karen Sorensen, and councillors Chip Olver and Corrie DiManno were prepared to move ahead on approving a paid parking ballot question.
Mayor Karen Sorensen was blown away with how the vote went, showing complete shock.
“I just have to say I’m incredibly disappointed,” said the mayor.
