Sarasota City Commission Workshop on Parking Program and Future Funding - August 31, 2026

The Sarasota City Commission held a workshop on August 31, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to approximately 1:34 p.m. to discuss the city's parking program, its financial challenges, and potential funding strategies. After initially stating that no public comment would be taken due to public notice rules, the commission voted 4-1 (Mayor Trice dissenting) to suspend its rules and allow up to 30 minutes of public comment, with each speaker limited to three minutes. The workshop focused on data regarding parking inventory, usage, revenue, costs, and options for sustainable funding.

Public Comments & Testimony

• John Harshman (city resident) suggested creating a task force of 10 citizens and 3 staff members to develop recommendations within 45 days, emphasizing the need for collaboration.
• Nicholas Dielsi (business owner) advocated for a 50-cent across-the-board increase, free Sundays, and ending enforcement from 8 p.m. to midnight, stating the current rules hurt businesses.
• Rachel Burns (Executive Director, St. Armands Circle Association) expressed that city staff did not engage with her organization before changes were made, called for consistent signage and better app functionality, and urged the commission to meet with impacted parties.
• Katherine Hermes (resident and business owner) focused on parking tickets, noting a 624% increase in citation payments (from 748 to 5,256 transactions) and called for three-hour time limits instead of two, and questioned the efficiency of in-house operations versus outsourcing.
• Flo Entler (37-year resident) proposed selling or leasing parking garages to private operators, citing the St. Armands garage bond becoming callable in 2027, and suggested hiring a management company similar to Bobby Jones Golf Course.
• Darci Jacob (small business owner) requested suspension of meters until a collaborative solution is reached and called for an audit and improved signage.
• Brian Mattison (restaurant owner) echoed support for a task force and questioned whether expenses had been adequately reviewed for potential cuts.
• Casey Gonzmart (former St. Armands Circle Association president and business owner) emphasized the need to restore free Sundays and limit paid parking to reasonable hours, noting ongoing recovery from hurricanes.
• Leane Bugo (city resident) recommended a third-party audit of parking operations, noted that presented data covered only peak season, and advocated for a hybrid approach with incremental improvements.
• Martin Hyde (city resident) argued for privatizing parking with contractual rate controls, claimed a 50-cent increase on current hours would have avoided the crisis, and criticized the $900,000 trolley subsidy as unrelated to parking.
• Jonathan Van Dyke (resident) requested full-year data analysis, a color-coded zone system, and stakeholder engagement through direct dialogue rather than written comments.

Discussion Items

• Staff (led by Steve Cover, Director of Planning, and Philip Deveau, Interim General Manager of Parking) presented detailed data: there are 9,527 total parking spaces, with 36% on-street, 44% in lots, and 20% in garages. Nearly 23,000 people visit Main Street daily; 86% of garage users are non-residents. The parking enterprise fund faces deficits of $2 million to $2.6 million annually over the next five years, driven by capital needs like elevator replacements and pay station upgrades.
• Options presented included raising user fees (25 to 75 cents per hour), using general fund revenues (requiring a millage increase of 0.5111), creating a special district (business assessments of $3,600 to $6,079 per year), or hybrid approaches.
• Commissioners questioned staff on cost reduction measures: Vice Mayor Ohlrich asked if an audit had been conducted (staff confirmed no recent audit but noted efforts like self-performing sign changes to save $15,000). Commissioner Alpert discussed loan financing for elevator replacements and the distinction between parking management and revenue recovery. Commissioner Battie favored a 50-cent increase (to $2) to simplify rates. Commissioner Ahearn-Koch raised concerns about format of the prior open house and requested analysis of eliminating meters in downtown.
• Mayor Trice noted bank card fees of $626,000 annually and questioned the mission of the parking division, suggesting expanded wayfinding and last-mile connectivity.
• City Manager Karie Friling outlined challenges including hurricane recovery, infrastructure, and the impending Amendment 3 referendum on November 3rd, which could significantly affect city revenues.

Key Outcomes

• The commission voted 4-1 to suspend rules for limited public comment (motion by Commissioner Ahearn-Koch, seconded by Commissioner Alpert; Mayor Trice opposed).
• City Manager Friling recommended, and commissioners concurred, to keep the current suspension of extended parking enforcement hours in place through at least November (replacing signage to reflect pre-June enforcement hours), continue developing programs such as business validation and enhanced valet services, and return with further recommendations after the November 3rd referendum. No formal action or motions were adopted, as this was a workshop.