While a parkade is not in the 2019 Downtown Parking Management Plan adopted by city council Monday evening, the subject did receive some attention from council members.

So did the subject of establishing market rates for on-street parking meters. It’s in the 2019 plan, and is among three of the recommendations council has chosen to focus on with its adoption of the plan.

Coun. Samson Hartland told his colleagues Monday he met recently with a prominent member of the business community who expressed concern about the availability of parking with the population on the rise.

“While I support many issues in the plan, the plan fails to address the lack of parking in the downtown core,” he said.

Hartland said a parking structure should remain on the table as a solution. It was a focal point in discussions back in the 1990s, when the parking reserve was established.

But Mayor Dan Curtis noted he and senior staff member also spoke with members of the business community three or four months back. From their perspective, a parkade is not viable without a private-public partnership leading the investment.

Even then, it’s not possible for Whitehorse to be charging fees that parkades in Calgary and Vancouver are charging, he said.

Answering a question from the mayor, acting city manager Valerie Braga confirmed there are always available spaces for lease in the three downtown parking lots owned by the city.

Curtis noted the city stalls go for $150 a month.

Mike Gau, the city’s director or development services, said the rationale for not including a parkade in the parking management plan is based on the substantial capital investment required and the ongoing cost of maintenance.

On July 15, council heard from administration that even when parking is tight during peak periods, vacant stalls can usually be found within a couple of blocks of the high-traffic areas.

Coun. Dan Boyd, however, said the availability of parking is certainly a priority for the business community.

He’d like to have more information about the history of the parking reserve fund.

It’s expected the reserve will have approximately $3.5 million in it by the end of this year.

The plan adopted Monday night as a guide to manage parking in the downtown sets out 22 recommendations.

Three of them were also adopted by council as priorities to focus on.

A decision to go forward with any of the other recommendations would require approval by city council. The three recommendations adopted are:

• the use of technology to improve customer service and monitor parking data across downtown, including the upgrade of existing meters to “smart” meters or kiosks, cashless and mobile payment options, and public online tools for parking status and availability;

• technology enhancements that are expected to significantly improve parking demand and supply data. This will allow the city to continuously monitor parking information and apply parking strategies recommended in the 2019 Plan; and

• a refined pricing strategy that will help create change in the city’s current parking patterns. An effective strategy focuses on applying market rates to peak-demand areas and incentivizes users into sustainable transportation modes, such as transit.

Establishing what might be an appropriate market rate for the meters will take some work, will take some consultation with stakeholders, Gau told council.

Coun. Steve Roddick insisted there is value in city-owned land used for parking, and he suggested the city should earn a fair rate of return on that land.

Currently, if developers want to reduce the required parking by just one stall, they have to make a one-time payment to the city of $18,700, the councillor pointed out.

Right now, Roddick said, the city is charging a minimal amount for parking.

He said parking fees are an opportunity to capture revenue from those who live outside city limits and take advantage of the services Whitehorse has to offer but don’t pay property taxes.

Boyd and Coun. Jocelyn Curteanu recommended caution in going forward to establish a market rate.

Curteanu said council has to recognize people go downtown to support local business, so parking needs to be affordable.

The councillor said she is concerned the city will move toward parking fees that are similar to what they are down south.

Boyd said he doesn’t know what the market rate is, though he suggested the city needs to be careful.

“When we have the only supply, and we have a captive audience, the market will bear a lot,” he said.