I work in a downtown Penticton office. After work Wednesday I found the city’s notice of new downtown parking program rather unceremoniously slapped to the windshield of my car.
In closing, the notice advised those concerned to phone or email the city. Well, I am greatly concerned. I, and many others who work downtown, serving the downtown businesses customers; earn minimum or little more than minimum wage.
I cannot afford to pay for parking on top of all my other living expenses.First, for the privilege to live here we suffer the wages hit by the sunshine tax. Now you want us to pay for the privilege to work downtown when there is no employment anywhere else in the city. The people who work downtown help to keep the businesses alive, attract customers to the “revitalized downtown area” and thereby support the economy of the city. We, the backbone of downtown Penticton should be provided free parking. The old Nanaimo Hall lot could be designated free parking for downtown employees who would be provided with parking passes for display in their vehicle windows.
Otherwise, we may very well see a mass exodus of downtown employees every two hours to move their vehicles from one parking space to another. In an eight-hour day — do the math. Not only would productivity and customer service suffer but so would the city’s carbon footprint.
Susan Finlay
Penticton