The City Council approved a pilot program proposed by the Downtown Chico Property-Based Improvement District that will allow residents to park in designated long-term parking lots free of charge for two hours.
Brendan Ottoboni, director of Public Works Engineering, said the city could lose about $50,000 in parking revenue during the trial period. Some councilmembers, including Katie Hawley and Bryce Goldstein, said they want quantifiable data before deciding whether to extend the program.
The free parking pilot will run July through September. The Council will revisit the matter at its first meeting in September. The proposal passed 6-0, with Councilmember Tom Van Overbeek abstaining.