Downtown Helena parking discussions continue [Video]

HELENA — Since the Business Improvement District’s meeting about downtown parking last month, a small group from the BID has met with city staff to discuss potential solutions to the issue of parking downtown.

“One thing that you are not hearing me say is, don’t worry about it, BID’s got it covered. We need to all work together and ask for what we want with downtown parking,” said Executive Director of BID, John Dendy, during the meeting.

Critics of the parking meters downtown find the current parking system an inhibitor of business. Haley McKnight, Sage and Oats Trading Post manager, pays for her employees’ parking. She’ll pay for anywhere from 3-5 employees’ parking at about $240 per month per employee. She says this prohibits the amount of money she can pay them and worries that employees in the downtown area may look to commercial stores outside of downtown for employment.

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