COLUMBUS, Ind. — Columbus has announced the members of its new downtown Columbus Parking Commission, which will have its first meeting next week.
“The purpose of the new Parking Commission is to be an advocate for responsible city parking strategy and policies,” the city stated in a release, “and members will work with city staff to oversee a comprehensive, coordinated policy to provide available and accessible parking in the city’s downtown district for all users, including downtown employees, business owners and operators, city residents and visitors.”
The commission, which was created earlier this year, will meet this Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Cal Brand Meeting Room at City Hall. Executive Director of Administration and Community Development Mary Ferdon said that the meeting will be available via livestream.
The city announced in late April that while it was reopening most buildings to the public on May 3, including city hall, it would continue conducting virtual meetings through the month.
The parking commission members are as follows:
- City Engineer: Dave Hayward (designated by ordinance, serves as the commission’s leader)
- Police department representative: Lisa Williams (designated by ordinance)
- Columbus Redevelopment Commission’s designee: Commons Manager Shanda Sasse (appointed by the CRC, annual term)
- Downtown merchant: Jeff Baker, co-owner of Baker’s Fine Gifts & Accessories (appointed by the mayor to a two-year term)
- City council member: Tom Dell (appointed by city council, annual term)
- City resident who works downtown: Catie Rix (appointed by city council to a three-year term)
- At-large member: Kevina Schumaker (appointed by the mayor, annual term)
- Visitors’ center representative: Bartholomew County Public Library Director Jason Hatton (appointed by the Columbus Area Visitors Center, ongoing)
- Former city councilman Dascal Bunch will serve as a non-voting member.
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Republic.
