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Warsaw's parking problem was brought before the Kosciusko County Commissioners Tuesday.
Bob Morrison, Warsaw city councilman, said the city needs help with a problem it's having. The downtown merchants are having a parking problem in that there are a lack of places to park because county employees are using the downtown parking spots, moving their vehicles every two hours to avoid parking tickets. The county has its own parking lots.
Morrison said he'd like elected officials to tell their people not to park in the downtown spots. Parking along the streets also are county department heads. How can the employees be expected to not park along the street if their supervisors aren't, he asked.
"It's been said and said and said," said Sue Ann Mitchell, county auditor, of county employees being asked not to park along the street.
Avis Gunter, commissioner, said county administrator Ron Robinson has told the department heads several times to tell their employees not to park along the streets, but to no avail.
Is there enough parking? asked Ron Truex, commissioner.
Mitchell said there is adequate parking, but it's not at the doorstep.
The parking issues occur, said Morrison, when there is a jury selection, hot zoning issues and classes downstairs in the Justice Building.
"The downtown merchants, I feel," said Morrison, "depend on what we do."
The biggest frustration, said Brad Jackson, commissioner, is when county employees park out there and move their vehicles every two hours. "We're paying them to do that," said Jackson, and that's wrong.
It is not an issue when a county employee, such as county surveyor Dick Kemper or county health administrator Bob Weaver, park there for a brief time to be in the office before their next appointments, said Jackson.
Morrison said Warsaw is discussing lowering the parking time allowed from two hours to one hour and increasing the parking fines.
Ron Truex, commissioner, said he doesn't know if the county has the authority to tell the county employees they can't park on public streets.
Jackson said they could send county employees a strong letter against leaving their offices every two hours to move their vehicles.
