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Meter time too short for salons
Keyser hairstylists say two-hour limit should be expanded
KEYSER, W.Va. — The maximum two hours allowed on Keyser’s new parking meters is creating a hardship for some customers of the city’s hair salons, and the businesses would like to see the amount of time increased.
Police Chief Karen Shoemaker told the Keyser City Council on Monday that she had been approached by representatives of several of the city’s hair salons who said the two-hour maximum on the meters does not allow enough time for some of their customers.
To come out of the salon and feed the meters with additional quarters is an inconvenience, especially for those customers who are elderly.
Shoemaker explained that the meters give one half-hour per quarter.
“Right now, you can put enough quarters in to get two hours,” she said.
In order to increase that time, the city would have to rent a piece of equipment that adjusts the time, and “the next increment,” according to Shoemaker, is four hours.
“It would cost us $250 to rent the machine for two weeks,” she said.
Councilman Ed Miller noted that the $250 rental fee “would be just a one-time thing.”
He questioned how many downtown employees would park their vehicles at the meters if they only had to feed the meters twice in order to get eight hours.
“That’s your whole business day,” he said.
“I’d like to hear from some of the other businesses,” Councilman Sonny Rhodes said, and Miller agreed.
“I think we ought to hold it up till the next meeting and get the people in town talking about it,” he said.
Audience member Roger Newlin suggested the officials “put the Parking Commission to work on it.”
The city has a three-member Parking Commission composed of Dick Niland, Cindy Pyles and Beverly Chaney, which has not been utilized to a high degree.
The officials agreed to look into it further, and put the issue on the agenda for their Aug. 11 meeting.
In other business before the council Monday:
• Mayor Glen “Bunk” Shumaker held the first reading of an amendment to the Residential Parking Ordinance that would remove the designation from a section of Fort Avenue between Mineral and Orchard streets.
Possible adoption will be considered at the Aug. 11 meeting.
• Parks Commissioner Sonny Alt noted that the city needs to order some replacement flags for the light poles and that playground equipment had been purchased for the North End Playground. He is getting prices on fencing for the Laffey-Parsons Playground on East Piedmont Street.
• Streets Commissioner Dave Sowers announced that signs have been ordered to be placed along the alley behind the Markwood Funeral Home to warn drivers of the steep drop-off to the parking lot behind the Grand Central Business Center.
• Sewer Commissioner Jim Endler announced that the city’s water testing lab at the wastewater treatment plant has brought in $30,590 in revenue for the city since Jan. 1.
Contact Liz Beavers at lbeavers@times-news.com.
