By Kathryn Reed

While the daily rate is going to stay the same at the city owned parking garage at Heavenly Village, monthly rates and other long-term passes will be going up this summer.

The City Council on June 5 agreed to raise some of the rates for the 420-space facility. The changes are expected to take place in one month.

“Since the parking has become impacted at Stateline there is more interest in passes,” Debbie McIntyre, finance director, said.

Three more holidays have been added to the list – Thanksgiving, Memorial Day and Labor Day. The significance is that rates on holidays for the whole day are $50 instead of the usual $25.

The current summer pass is $50/month. It will be going up to $125/month. Two hundred passes had been available, now there will be 100.

The winter rate of $125 month is increasing by $50 to $175.

The city also offers a ski season pass that depending on when it is purchased costs $300, $350 or $400. Those rates will be $400, $500 and $600.

The annual pass is being discontinued. In its place will be a six-month pass. That will be $500.

Last year the garage grossed $1.2 million. Through April it has made $900,000. Annual expenses to operate the structure are about $350,000.

The city pays almost $600,000 a year in bond debt. The soonest that bill can be paid off is December 2023.

After that time the council will have to decide where the revenue might go.

McIntyre reminded the council the original plan was to build a fifth floor on the garage. It wasn’t done at the get-go because there wasn’t the money to do so.