Flint, MI– Courtesy parking has started an hour earlier outside of City Hall on the days the Flint City Council meets.
This means that on Mondays and Wednesdays, starting at 4 p.m. people don’t need to pay to park in the spaces right outside of City Hall.
The Downtown Development Authority’s Interim Director Kiaira May said she implemented this change a few weeks ago after hearing from residents on the issue.
“I’ve been going to see the council meetings and I’ve just been noticing, like, it’s not a huge group of people that are going to these meetings, but for the people that are, who are dedicated, we really just wanted to be supportive,” May said. “Because city council meetings are very important.”
Council meetings typically start at 4:30 p.m. on Mondays and 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. Before this change, courtesy parking started at 5 p.m. which meant residents who got there early needed to pay.
Flint resident Arthur Woodson, who regularly attends the council meetings, thanked May for this change during a council meeting on Jan. 19.
“We spoke about the meters outside of City Hall and talked about the ordinance, and she jumped on it the next day and fixed it,” Woodson said. “And that right there lets me know that she’s really working for the people to go out and do something that quick and adjust things that quick.”
Woodson said May also forgave the tickets he’d been issued for parking outside City Hall.
Now, May said, people who get to the council meetings early don’t need to worry about getting a ticket.
“I just wanted to make it easier for people,” she said.