Darien Board of Selectmen discuss parking rate changes

At Monday night's Board of Selectmen meeting, First Selectman Jayme Stevenson said she would like to increase the daily parking rate from $3 to $8, and raise the $345 monthly parking pass by at least $100, which could be phased in over a two-year period.

In terms of daily parking, Stevenson said she wants Darien's prices to be competitive.

Selectman David Bayne thought $5 was "a pretty substantial increase in one fell swoop," although he agreed that the town should be competitive.

"We're a government and we shouldn't be doing this with a profit motive in mind," he said. "I'd be more comfortable with a $4 increase and then another dollar to make the raise a little more palatable."

Stevenson said the goal was to get the permit holders out of the voucher parking spaces and provide "21st-century parking technology."

After agreeing to raise the rates by $4 and the monthly rates by $100 each over the course of two years, the board decided to conduct a public hearing at its next meeting Oct. 29.

-- Megan Davis