The Kenai City Council met on Wednesday, May 1st, to discuss making some housekeeping changes regarding parking during the dipnet season.
According to the ordinance (3411-2024), the fine for parking tickets/violations off the airport is currently $50. This ordinance would increase the fine to $100.
The current fine for violating City-Paid Parking requirements is $50. Airport parking fines are listed separately, and the only other parking requiring payment by the City is associated with the Dipnet Fishery.
In 2023, the “Day Use Parking” fee was $22.05, and the Overnight Parking fees ranged from $49.61 to $60.64.
According to a memo from Terry Eubank, dipnet parking fees have risen over the years. The penalty for not paying the parking fee should also rise in a manner that the fine for violating the parking rules is greater than the fee for complying with the paid parking rules.
Having a fine amount potentially less than a parking permit makes it more economical for users of the Personal Use Fishery parking area to not purchase a parking permit and have a chance of receiving a paid parking fine.
By increasing the paid parking fine, the City hopes that it encourages parking permit compliance.
“Our goal and our intent is for people just to comply with the parking fees and and not get fined. And I know in the past the police have even allowed people to go up and actually pay the fee they should have paid and they will dismiss or or you know tear up the ticket for a paid parking fine. So you know, our goal was again just to to get the fee so that they’re the fines so that it was in excess of what the actual fee was that that you would be violating,” said Eubank.
After a vote, the ordinance passed with all 5 members in favor, and two absent.
