FORT WORTH -- The City Council moved Tuesday night to reset unpopular parking rates in the lots it owns around the Will Rogers Memorial Center, leasing a 200-car lot to the Museum of Science and History and allowing the museum to set its own rates.
The council voted 8-0 to approve the lease on the lot bounded by Harley Avenue, Montgomery Street and Gendy Street. Councilman Sal Espino was absent.Museum officials have said they were working on a rate structure that would give free or discounted parking to members but would likely charge nonmembers. Under the agreement, the lower rates would be available to the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the Fort Worth Community Arts Center and the Cattle Raisers Museum, which is in the science museum."This is finally a tough project come true," said Councilman Dennis Shingleton, whose district includes the Cultural District.The council confronted another tough issue Tuesday as arts patrons, including Fort Worth billionaire Robert Bass, packed a budget hearing and called on the council to restore full funding to the Arts Council of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, which faces a 25 percent cut in the city's proposed budget for 2013.Bass told the council that the city's strong arts scene has helped draw business to the city. Arts organizations today are stressed, and many are in peril, he said."I implore you to increase the arts allocation," Bass said.Former Fort Worth City Manager Doug Harman also spoke against numerous cuts in the budget, including to the arts, alley maintenance and Fort Worth Sister Cities.The city should revisit using hotel tax money to create a revenue stream for the arts, Harman said. The city used hotel taxes to fund the arts council several years ago before diverting the money to improvements at the Will Rogers complex and the Fort Worth Convention Center. Arts council grant funding from the city has fallen since."Arts are important to this city," Harman said. "The city has a long history of using hotel money for the arts."The council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on the proposed $1.4 billion budget. That budget, which leaves the property tax rate the same, cuts arts council grant funding by $266,564, leaving $799,691. The arts council made 43 grants last year.Parking feesAnother part of the budget vote will be a menu of parking fees on other Will Rogers complex lots and the Western Heritage garage that would replace the $5 flat fee the city implemented in 2010 to pay for the garage.The city isn't making enough from the $5 fee, city staffers have said.Officials of museums and other attractions whose patrons park at the Will Rogers complex have said the fee put a big dent in memberships, overall traffic and gift shop sales.With variable rates, most visitors would pay much less than $5 to park."We appreciate the city's willingness to do this so we can give a benefit to our members," Bill Bleibdrey, the science museum's chief administrative officer, said in an interview."Anything is an improvement," said Mary Montalvo, director of operations at the Community Arts Center. "We see an empty parking lot across the street from us, and we want to encourage people to come."The city's proposed variable parking rates would start at 45 minutes free, max out at $10 for four hours or more, and include flat rates for the most popular events, such as gun and craft shows.Under the structure, 45 minutes to one hour would cost $3; one to two hours, $5; two to three hours, $7; and three to four hours, $9.The Fort Worth Stock Show has control of the Will Rogers complex during its annual three-week run and would continue to set its own parking rates.The variable rates would raise $427,000 more annually, the city staff estimated.The $12,000-a-year parking lot lease to the science museum, which Shingleton characterized as significantly below true market value, let the City Council take credit for assisting the museums at the same time it's taking heat from arts organizations for the funding cut.Shingleton said in an interview that the parking deal gives the museums "some control over their financial destiny.""If they want to provide it all gratis to their season subscribers, that's fine," he said.Advocates for the homeless also appeared during the budget hearing. The proposed city budget cuts $239,336 from the city's Directions Home program, leaving $2.15 million. The money goes to housing services for the homeless.In other business, the council continued until Nov. 12 consideration of an ordinance regulating feral cat colonies, sponsors and caretakers.Scott Nishimura, 817-390-7808Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
