The Paso Robles City Council will move forward with the implementation of a paid parking officer after a passing vote at Tuesday's meeting.
Paid parking was implemented in the downtown area in mid-August. An officer from the police department's Community Services Division has been assigned to enforce the new parking rules, but city officials say this has put a strain on the division and the police department would like to add another position.
The full-time Parking Ambassador position is expected to cost the city $114,500 per year. City officials say $68,000 will go toward salary and the rest will cover benefits and retirement.
Money for the position will come from the Downtown Parking Fund. For now, a loan from the city's general fund is covering the costs of the Downtown Parking Program, but city officials expect the program to start bringing in enough money to pay for itself after about three years.
