The new meter is really very simple to use. For now we are using the pay and display option which means you simply pay at the meter and place your receipt on the dash of your vehicle. Because of the location of the meter near the Sterchi Building, we will have to move one of the benches to a new location and plan to also move around some of the benches on the west side of the street. Several of the benches had to be relocated from the locations shown on the our original plans due to utility relocation so we have asked the 100 Block Association to help us in determine the best relocation sites.
Other items of interest in the 100 Block of S. Gay Street area include the screening of the central garbage area which was created in a parking space on the 200 Block of S. Gay Street. We are getting estimates with the idea being that we would like to go for a similar look to the screening we have created by the State Street Garage.
The Engineering Department has notified me that our paving contractor plans to repave Summit Hill beginning this weekend so expect some delays and lane closures there.
We continue to discuss the panhandling issues here and plan to organize a joint meeting very soon with all the various Downtown Associations and the Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association to plan a coordinated method for making folks aware of the various regulations and impacts and to have a unified strategy going forward. As many of you know I attend most of these meetings and hear the same issues and ideas over and over. I believe the Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association has developed the most organized strategy thus far so I would like to try to get everyone together to begin a similar implementation strategy if possible.
Lastly, many events are planned for next weekend including the Hola Festival on Saturday October 6, 2012