News
With RB Finances In The Red, Council Nixes Free Parking For "Pink Bank"
By John Burton
RED BANK - Riverview Medical Center recently asked the borough to suspend parking meter fees at metered spaces and municipal lots during the first week in May, when the medical center plans to hold its annual "Paint The Town Pink" event, a breast cancer prevention awareness campaign.
But a motion to approve free parking for May 1-8 was rejected last Monday night when the motion was not seconded.
The council authorized the parking exemption for the event last year, but given the state of the municipal resources this year, Mayor Pasquale Menna said, he is opposed to doing it again this year.
The event is "basically, a PR thing," for the medical center, Menna said.
Any discussion of parking appears to be sticky for officials. Recently the borough council got into a tug-of-war with the business community and its management arm, Red Bank RiverCenter, when officials sought to extend parking meter fees for two hours daily.
Officials wanted to require drivers to pay for parking from 8 a.m. to 8.m., instead of until 6 p.m., arguing that the extended hours were necessary to replace revenue lost when the borough made Saturday a free parking day in order to help borough business owners who were struggling in a bad economy.
Business owners objected to extending meter hours, saying it would hurt them in this difficult economic climate. The council then opted to double the cost of on-street meters while maintaining the existing meter fees in borough lots and continuing free Saturday parking.
Officials have continued to stress the town's difficult finances as they try to draft a municipal budget in a year when they fear that state government won't be able to provide much assistance.
"Granted, we are in a crisis," conceded Councilman Michael DuPont, who chairs the council's finance committee. "But at some point in time we have to step up to the plate," and offer some support to combat a medical malady that afflicts so many women, DuPont said, but he failed to offer the second that would have brought the motion to a full vote.
"What does this have to do with the cause?" asked Menna, contending it was a means of promotion for the medical center.
The meters would be covered with hoods, promoting the medical center and the event, Menna explained "I'd like to help them," Menna said after the meeting, referring to Riverview. "But you can't give money back after raising the rates."
Traditionally, the council does approve free parking for the metered lots in the east side for much of the holiday shopping season. And last year's move to suspend the meters on Saturdays cost the town approximately $375,000, officials have said previously.
There are 1,066 parking meters located on-street and in the lots and the bo6rough earns approximately $8-$10,000 per week from them, according to Frank Mason, the borough's chief financial officer.
This would be the fourth year the medical center and the business community participate in the Paint the Town Pink and Pink Bank program, offering programs and business promotions for it, explained Tom Paolella, Riverview's public relations manager.
Tim Hogan, the medical center's president offered a comment through the public relations office, stating, "Red Bank has always been supportive of Riverview and we look forward to working with them again in the future."
