On Tuesday the Marshalltown City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to raise parking ticket prices by $5.

Initially, fines for alternative parking is $15, front yard parking and fire lane parking are $25. The ordinance could increase those fines by $5 each, bring the alternative parking fine to $20 and the fire lane and front yard parking fines to $30.

Council member Susan Cahill was the lone vote opposed to the measure.

“I feel that many of our parking tickets for parking on the lawn and alternate street parking affect those who live in areas where houses don’t have big wide drive ways to accommodate every car,” Cahill said. “It puts additional burdens on those that work third shift, second shift who have to get up early, even if they worked all night, to get their car moved.”

Parking signs displayed throughout downtown Marshalltown.

She called it a “tax” on people in the northern part of Marshalltown who live in multiple family dwellings.

Council member Gary Thompson was for the ordinance and disagreed with Cahill.

“As a person that used to work second shift and third shift years ago, I know I didn’t have a problem with coming home after midnight and knowing which side of the street to park on,” Thompson said. “You have until 9 a.m. to move your vehicle.”

He even called for steeper penalties, and made a failed motion to raise the fire lane fine to $50.

Thompson and other council members pushed for more enforcement to accompany the raise in parking ticket fines.

This was the first vote and ordinances require three votes before they are enforceable.

Raising parking tickets by $5 each was budgeted to generate an additional $17,500 for the general fund. In March, the council discussed raising fines during its annual budget discussion.

The council also considered a failed proposal to close down the city’s aquatic center. For now Marshalltown’s Aquatic Center will open this season, albeit with restrictions.

More than 15 other Iowa cities have made the decision to close down city pools due to the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proposed closure failed 3 to 3, as Cahill left the meeting before the measure and did not cast a vote.

T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM The Aquatic Center in Marshalltown sits empty - no pool and no people. The Marshalltown City Council discussed on Tuesday whether or not to open the facility for the season.

Last week, Gov. Kim Reynolds allowed pools to open on a limited basis and the Marshalltown YMCA/YWCA has followed suit only allowing lap swimming with restrictions.

The city’s Aquatic Center doesn’t bring a large amount of revenue to the city and fears of the pandemic could make the center see lower attendance.

“Do you open the pool in light of the fact that we have a pandemic that is certainly active within our county?” asked Jessica Kinser, city administrator.

City staff proposed opening the Aquatic Center in phases if the council decides to open the pool.

The first phase would only include the outdoor pools being used for lap swimming, water walking and swim lessons only. No general open swimming will be allowed in the phase one. Swimmers will not be allowed entry into the facility if they have any symptoms or exposure risks as listed by the CDC guidelines.

The second phase will open the pool at 50 percent capacity.