Mount Pleasant City Commission raises parking meter fees, grants CME LLC tax break

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People who use the parking meters near Central Michigan University will have to pay extra.

City commissioners approved an increase Monday to the price of city parking meters from 25 to 50 cents per hour. The new fee will affect about 150 meters around CMU’s campus, said City Manager KathieGrinzinger.

“We have learned over the years from being the home of CMU that it is always best to make changes that impact the students before they come back for the fall semester,” she said.

Grinzinger proposed the price changes make it into the 2010 operating budget so the parts can be ordered.

The increase will give the city an estimated revenue of about $15,000, which will go toward parking enforcement, said City Building Official Brian Kench.

Kench said there are three meters in the city that take multiple currency forms such as nickels, dimes and quarters for less than one hour. These meters will be updated to match the ones with the hourly 50 cent fee.

“The majority of our meters are one hour,” said Rich Morrison, director of community services.

Grinzinger said the fee will equalize the price of meters between CMU and the city so meters a block away from each other will charge the same amount.

The City Commission also granted the owners of CME LLC a 50 percent tax break on new equipment for 12 years.

CME LLC, a Mount Pleasant auto parts plan, plans to invest $4.2 million in operations around mid-Michigan.

The automotive supplier produces various types of motors including starter motors, fan motors and power window motors and also does injection molding and other assembly work.

CME LLC is part of Mitsuba Corp. and has long been the largest single tax payer in Mount Pleasant, said David Stevens, CME LLC vice president.

“We support our community and our community supports us,” Stevens said. “Mount Pleasant is still a good place to invest.”