Ted Bourke’s response

Beth and signors,

Robert and I wanted to reach out and acknowledge your petition - appreciate the interest.

First, we want to pass on that, based on the feedback from business owners at a meeting we had a week ago Thursday, we intend to increase business permits $100 instead of $200.

Because Millburn has a stand alone parking utility, the finances of the deck are more complex. Essentially, as a stand alone entity, all costs associated with providing parking in Millburn must be offset only with parking revenues - tokens, meters, and permits. Our ability to "shift" funds from other aspects of the township budget to ease this burden is legally not feasible. The addition of the deck supported all parking - increasing the total number of customer, business and computer spots.

But we have heard the feedback. We have not increased permit fees in five years (and actually even after the increases, have much lower fees than surrounding towns). And while we had proposed a rate that we hoped would allow us to meet the obligations of the deck and not increase fees again for five years, the amount was too much.

We recognize that some will feel that this is also still too high, or that the benefit of the deck is only commuters. At the meeting, several suggestions on improvements for rates and parking in general were brought up - some of which were included in your petition - I hope we can work through these in 2014.

One final point of clarification - there is nothing on the docket with respect an increase in meter rates - some discussion on several fronts around meters at the meeting with businesses - but nothing put forth or intended.


Thanks

Ted and Robert