County moves to cut town parking permit fees

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

Downtown Paris residents could soon pay less for reserved municipal parking after the County of Brant's Administration and Operations Committee endorsed changes to the Paris Business Improvement Area (BIA) residential parking permit program on July 21.

The recommendation, which still requires final approval from county council on July 28, would make the pilot program permanent while reducing permit fees and introducing an annual permit option. 

If approved, monthly permit fees would drop from $120 to $80, quarterly permits would decrease from $360 to $240, and a new annual permit would be available for $960. All fees would be prorated daily and subject to HST. 

The pilot program was introduced in June 2025 to provide designated overnight parking for eligible residents living within the downtown BIA. It was expanded earlier this year to allow owners of residential properties within the BIA to purchase permits for qualifying units.

Greg Bergeron, the County's director of enforcement and regulatory services, said staff are recommending the current version of the program continue, despite limited participation during its first year.

Coun. John MacAlpine asked how many downtown properties could potentially qualify for the permits.

Bergeron said approximately 80 residential properties may be eligible, although many already have private parking.

"Part of this exercise was to get a better idea of demand," he said. "Right now, it is low but we expect that to change in the coming years."

The County currently offers 20 residential permit spaces, 10 in the municipal parking lot behind the cenotaph and 10 in the lot beside the former OPP station, now Municipal Lot 11 near Wincey Mills.

Bergeron said only six permits have been issued to date, leaving 14 spaces available.

Coun. Steve Howes questioned why demand has remained so low.

Bergeron attributed the limited uptake to several factors, including the ongoing downtown reconstruction project.

"I think there is a couple of things compounding issue with uptake," he said. "Number one is construction. We think it had something to do with the low uptake. Secondly, I think the price may have been a little high, although we did a market analysis and the price we came up with was fair."

He said lowering the fees reflects feedback received through social media and discussions with the Downtown Paris BIA that the permits need to be more affordable.

MacAlpine also questioned whether the availability of free 24-hour parking in other municipal lots has discouraged residents from purchasing permits.

Bergeron agreed that some residents choose the free option, while others value having a guaranteed parking space.

"Some don't want to pay when there is 24-hour lots however some residents want to know they have a dedicated spot no matter what," he said.

According to the staff report, only one permit has been issued to a resident since the pilot launched, while five permits were purchased by a downtown property owner to reserve spaces for residential units being marketed for sale. The report notes construction in the downtown core likely affected demand, while public feedback also questioned the need to pay for parking when free municipal parking remains available elsewhere. Staff said reducing permit costs responds to concerns that the existing rates have been a barrier to participation. The report also indicates the County's preliminary downtown parking needs assessment found the existing parking system is operating at or near capacity during peak periods. Staff plan to continue evaluating long-term parking solutions, including enforcement practices, technology, paid parking models and future infrastructure, with broader community engagement expected to begin in mid-to-late 2027.