HomeMy WebLinkAboutCitizentoBPC01212017 Page 1 of 2
E-mails from former Parking Garage Lease Holder, to BPC at their request:
(1/21/17) Dear Downtown Parking Garage folks,
My spouse and I have had a monthly parking garage space in the parking garage but need to
cancel it now. The monthly rate going from $40 to $60 now is just too much for us, so despite
the convenience to our house, we have rented parking for$27/month elsewhere. I believe we are
paid up through January 31 st. The rental is under either my name, or my spouse's name - Cassidy
Medicine Horse. Could you shoot me an email back confirming the cancellation as of February
1 st? Thanks :)
(1/13/17) Ms. Woodcock-Medicine Horse:
I am sorry to hear that we are losing you as a customer at the Bridger Park Garage. Please consider this
email as confirmation that we have received your cancelation notice. I have forwarded your message to
the Finance Department,they may contact you with any further questions/information on the matter.
Take Care.
Ed Meece
Parking Program Manager
(1/23/17) Hi Ed,
Thanks, we regretted having to make that decision, since we live in the Hatthorn building, one
block over. It was really, really convenient to be able to park our car there, and have done so for
several years. But we are both grad students and have to watch our budget- we could swing
$40/month, or$480 a year, but when it went up to $720 a year, that was just way too much. Our
new parking is inconvenient,but it is also secure/gated and costs $324/year. Since the operating
cost of the downtown garage cannot have risen so drastically - it's not like it's patrolled,
monitored, or heated - it's hard to understand the radical increase in rents. I would like to
observe, whatever the reasoning, it is no longer a public service that serves the average Bozeman
citizen, but is now serving some other demographic, which I find unfortunate. I appreciate that
the City has to balance its budget with its civic goals - but, for example,the rent at the Beall
Center has remained very reasonable for citizens to hold functions -there are a range of options
for events up to the Story - not so in this parking case. I realize that parking rates are probably
not your personal decision to make, but as Bozeman grows, so does the widening income gap
between a large part of the population who has lived here a long time, versus more recent
immigrants - and MSU salaries sure don't keep up. Maybe at the next meeting where those issues
get discussed,that social issue could be brought up&mulled over.
Thanks, Jennifer
Page 2 of 2
(1/24/17) Toward your comments, do you mind if I share your emails with the BPC directly?
Ed Meece
Parking Program Manager
(1/24/17) Hi Ed,
Thanks, I would appreciate having my thoughts passed on to the parking commission. I think
that it would make sense to have a 2-tier system of sorts -the Westin is just across the street-
tourists could pay a more expensive fee -they kind of expect that. I know that when I go to a
conference in Denver, the day fee at the parking garage is egregious. On the other hand, I know
that the the restaurant owners in the Hatthorn building require their workers to park several
blocks out, so as not to clog up street parking - I doubt those dishwashers can afford $60/month
anymore than I can. The point being-maybe there could be more of a 2-tier fee schedule,
relatively more expensive for the day or week, but more affordable for the monthly rate. I think
there is a break if you pay an entire year at once - but that is not financially possible for a lot of
Bozemanites.
Best, Jennifer