M'burgh to Return Parking Meters to Railroad Avenue

By David Avitabile

MIDDLEBURGH - The parking meters will return to Railroad Avenue in Middleburgh next month.

Village board members decided at a special meeting Monday to return the meters on the street in April, weather permitting. Two broken meters on Main Street will also be replaced.

After the meters are returned on Railroad Avenue, for the first two weeks warnings instead of tickets will be given out to violators . After the first two weeks, tickets will be issued, board members said.

Trustee Sheryl Adams said returning the meters to the street will be good for business.

"You can't have the same cars parked there all day and all night," she said.

There was some discussion on when to return the meters to the street, which was turned into a one-way street earlier this year.

Trustee Bob Tinker said returning the meters should not be an issue.

"People see the parking meters and put money in. How hard is that?"

He noted that it has the "same problems with the same people" parking on the street.

Board members agreed returning the meters to Railroad Ave. will help business, business owners, and residents.

In addition to putting the meters back on Railroad Avenue, they will also replace two non-working ones on Main Street. Mayor Tim Knight said one meter stopped functioning and another was damaged when the Candy Cane was removed. The two meters cost a total of $1,025 but since they are only produced in Canada, they may be subject to a tariff and therefore more expensive.

The village collected approximately $800 with the most recent parking meter collection, which is roughly what was collected by mid-May last year, Mayor Knight said. Revenues are increasing due to improved machinery and maintenance by the DPW.

Mayor Knight also said that Railroad Avenue will be striped this spring and a big one-way directional sign will be painted on the street.