APPLETON, WI — The city of Appleton may undertake another study on downtown parking–but it will not consider the potential privatization of the ramps. A measure going before the Common Council on Wednesday authorizes hiring consultants to look at current demand and operations–but removed language to examine selling off the ramps. Alder Kristin Alfheim thinks the city should fully implement recommendations from a previous study done in 2015.
“Increasing revenue is the same math as decreasing costs,” Alfheim said. “And if we would have actually taken action on the study back in the day to do the driving of revenue to the parking ramps, we may not be in the financial situation we are today.”
Alder Chad Doran wonders why his fellow council members don’t want to consider privatization.
“If a consultant comes back and says we have no reason to look at doing that, then I’ll assume were not going to look at doing that and wouldn’t approve that,” Doran says. “If a consultant says, you might want to look at doing this for these reasons, then there’s a good opportunity for us to have some discussion. It doesn’t mean we have to do it or we’re going to do it. But at least we have some opinions from a professional who specializes in this work to here’s why we think you might want to at least give this a look.”
The city does not have a price tag on what the new parking study would cost.
