Meter law change pending

The parking meter debate flared up again in Emporium this week, as a couple of downtown business owners asked Borough Council to eliminate the devices.

Joel Caldwell, owner of Emporium Pharmacy and the adjacent Subway restaurant on Fourth Street, said the parking meters discourage business.

"The customer feels it's a nuisance," Caldwell said.

Tom Callahan, owner of Tom's Sales and Service, concurred. "We're losing customers to other towns," Callahan told Council.

After discussion, Council agreed to establish a permit system that will allow drivers to park on North Broad and South Broad streets without feeding the meters, as long as their permit is displayed.

The permits will not cover parking along the main business thoroughfare, Fourth Street. The parking permit system is in a draft form, with fees to determined in the coming weeks.

Parking meters generate about $9,000 annually for the borough. Additional revenue is derived from fines, which Borough Council raised last summer. About 130 parking tickets are issued in an average month, according to parking patrol officer Annie Hnath.

In other business Monday, Council once again postponed action on a proposal to loosen restrictions on outdoor furnaces.