Villagers have say on meters

LAWRENCE GULLERY
The choice is simple targeted rate or parking meters that's what Havelock North people have been asked to vote on in a survey of ratepayers in the village.
The survey was initiated by the Havelock North Concerned Citizens, which is campaigning against parking meters in the village in exchange for a targeted rate to pay for parking.
The survey ends on Thursday and the group will take the results to the Hastings District Council, which will discuss the matter at its final meeting of the year on December 15.
The council wanted the survey to target ratepayers but a spokesman for the group, David Sorensen, said the survey went out to all "householders" in the village.
"It will be the users who will pay if the parking meters are installed, whether they are (Havelock North) ratepayers or not," he said.
Mr Sorensen said a targeted rate would probably be passed on to tenants, as an additional rent charge from landlords. The group estimates the targeted rate could be 48 cents per week.
"A significant number of villagers value the convenience of being able to come and go without having to deal with meters and will willingly pay a small charge," Mr Sorensen said.
"We think it is misleading to suggest that visitors to the village would be the big winners if meters are not installed," he said.
"These people use parking spaces mostly at weekends and holidays: We use them every day," he said.
The group said it accepted the costs of parking must be paid for by the users or Havelock North people.
It also understood money raised through parking would go towards the $500,000 the council needed to purchase land for additional parking in five years.
"Our own financial analysis shows that meters are a significantly less efficient method of raising the funds than a small addition to our annual rates," Mr Sorensen said.
The group said the meter option needed to earn about $170,000 per year to pay for the installation and maintenance of the machines and for additional future parking spaces.
The group believed a targeted rate, about $25 per year, would collect $115,000 from 4800 ratepayers, enough to pay for parking and for future parking spaces.
The group's committee of six was elected after a public meeting three weeks ago unanimously opposed parking meters in the village.