The Annapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution Monday to investigate the Noah Hillman Garage concession agreement and meet with the garage’s operator, Premium Parking.
Sponsored by Democratic council representatives Eleanor Tierney, of Ward 1, and Karma O’Neill, of Ward 2, the resolution came in response to concerns about parking downtown, the Noah Hillman Garage and the garage’s fee system.
The resolution, introduced at the Oct. 25 council meeting, seeks to “find solutions to the complicated parking fee payment system that is discouraging the use of the parking garage.”
There will be a joint meeting with the Finance and Transportation committees, chaired by the resolution’s sponsors, on Wednesday to discuss those concerns. Premium Parking will be attend to answer questions, O’Neill said.
In March, a petition circulated among Annapolis residents complaining that the parking system is “overly cumbersome, complicated and time-consuming.” As time went on, Tierney and O’Neill received more complaints.
The concession agreement is between Annapolis and the Maryland Economic Development Corp., a state organization that finances economic development projects. MEDCO issued revenue bonds to finance the garage’s construction and is responsible for making sure those bonds are paid.
In return, the city received a one-time concession payment of $25.35 million that went toward financing the City Dock Resiliency Project.
Annapolis Infrastructure Resilience, a company named in the concession agreement, was then subcontracted to develop and manage the revenue from the garage and the downtown parking area that pays off the issued bonds, according to a staff report from the Office of the City Manager.
Premium Parking was then subcontracted by AIR to manage the “day-to-day operations” of the garage and the downtown parking district.
MEDCO representatives were invited to Wednesday’s meeting but unable to attend, according to Mike Mallinoff, Annapolis city manager. Premium Parking representatives will be in attendance.
There will be an opportunity for public comment at Wednesday’s joint committee meeting, according to a mass email sent from Tierney on Tuesday. The meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m.