Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
The Glens Falls Common Council voted 3-2 Tuesday, Oct. 13, to impose permit-only paid parking in the Warren, Ridge and Exchange Street lots, and on the first floor of the Clinton Ave. parking garage that faces Elm Street.
Voting in favor were Dan Donohue, Bob Landry and Ben Lapham. Voting no were Dan Rice and Sean Palladino. Mary Gooden was absent.
Initially, it seemed the resolution had failed. City Attorney Taylor Basford erroneously stated that the 3-2 vote wasn’t sufficient to pass the measure.
Scrambling, the council put another parking measure up for a vote.
This one, recommended by the Quality of Life Committee, would have set the Exchange, Warren and Ridge Street parking lots to 90% permit-only parking. The other 10% — two spaces in Ridge and Exchange, three at Warren — would be non-permitted, available to the public at the 3-hour time limit from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This motion failed 2-3. Mr. Landry and Mr. Palladino voted yes. Mr. Donohue, Mr. Rice and Mr. Lapham voted no.
It was only much later in the meeting that Attorney Basford realized that the original 3-2 vote was, in fact, sufficient to pass the first resolution.
“After brief research I’m looking at our Charter now and I’m looking at Article 4, Section 6 for procedure of the Common Council, which provides that a majority of the council present and voting at a meeting where a quorum is present is sufficient to pass a resolution,” she said.
“So I think that the characterization of the July 28 resolution of the audit and finance committee did pass based on the vote, 3-2.”
“This was a very unusual set of circumstances,” Mayor Diana Palmer said.
The details of the enacted parking resolution include —
For the Warren Street lot (next to St. Mary’s School), Exchange Street (behind Davidson’s Restaurant) and Ridge Street (next to City Hall):
• $40 monthly or $20 weekly for a Workday permit, applicable Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
• $5 daily permit available for the Warren Street lot only. No single day permits for Exchange or Ridge Street lots.
• $40 monthly or $20 weekly for Nights & Weekends permit, Monday to Thursday, 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. and weekend from 6 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Monday.
• $70 monthly or $35 weekly for all day and night, 24/7 parking access.
• Note: Each permit is good for one specified lot only.
Clinton Ave. garage, first floor:
• $80 monthly, or $30 weekly for Workday permit, Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
• $10 single day Workday permit (only four available).
• $80 monthly or $30 weekly for Night and Weekend permit.
• $140 monthly or $50 weekly for all day and night, 24/7 parking permit.
