Jim Thorpe’s proposed permit parking ordinance received a welcome response Monday night.

The ordinance was intended as a way to help full-time residents have a better chance at finding on-street parking near their residence and, save for several suggested tweaks, it succeeded.

The proposed ordinance would have allowed property owners from 5 W. Broadway to 415 W. Broadway to apply annually for up to two parking permits, which would cost $12 each, per residence. One of the suggested changes, however, was to expand the area that permit parking would cover to include, at a minimum, High Street, Race Street and Broadway.

Jason Mosher, a High Street resident, said his street is already an overflow area for downtown parking and could get worse if not included in the permit parking ordinance.

“There is nowhere to park as it is and then you’ll have people dumping their third or fourth vehicles there,” Mosher said.

James “Trooper” Pompa said the block below the Mauch Chunk Opera House would also become a major issue if not covered by the ordinance.

“That block is a free-for-all as it stands right now,” Pompa said.

Council President Greg Strubinger said an expansion of the permitted area would be taken under consideration.

“I think the original idea was to use this as a sample to see how it works and what might need to be changed and tweaked before it moves to other areas,” Borough Manager Maureen Sterner said.

The permits, as the ordinance is written, would enable the driver of that vehicle to park in the allowed neighborhood between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. Monday through Friday, and all day on the weekends and federal holidays, without being ticketed.

Residents overwhelmingly told council Monday night they want the ordinance in effect all day, every day.

“We need relief 24/7,” Jim Gilmore, of 50 W. Broadway, said. “I’m fine with the $12 cost for the permit. When I come home from going to the market and have no place to park at 12:45 p.m. on a weekday, I’d gladly pay $1 a month to be able to park somewhere.”

Council, however, did hear a suggestion to establish income guidelines that may allow those on a fixed income to get a permit at no cost.

“Parking has been a problem for more years than I can count, but we pay our taxes and I believe permits should be free,” said Sharron Heath, of 194 W. Broadway. “A lot of us don’t have much income.”

Another suggestion council heard multiple times is for the availability of a guest pass.

“It’s often impossible to find parking on the street and I think this is a good start, but I’m concerned about when we have family or friends over,” Dave Miller, of 93 W. Broadway, said. “I think we somehow need to add the ability for a guest pass.”

Mayor Michael Sofranko used the example of family gatherings or when someone is having work done on their residence of situations that may have to be handled on a case-by-case basis when enforcing the ordinance.

Fines would be $50 if paid within 48 hours, $60 if paid between 48 hours and five days, and $75 if paid between five and 10 days after the violation.

If the ticket is not paid within 10 days, a citation will take place and the vehicle owner will face a fine of up to $150 plus court costs.

“We wanted to give this some teeth so people wouldn’t just park there anyway and pay a small fine,” Strubinger said. “We really want to deter people without permits from taking up this residential parking from the folks who live in that area.”

While many residents gave the thumbs up to a permit parking ordinance, they urged council to continue looking to add parking areas in the borough to further alleviate the issue.

“I think we do need to get a think tank together for long-term parking solutions,” Sofranko said. “If it’s a parking deck, let’s take a look at those costs and where it might fit. I don’t want to see the discussion stop here.”

Council had initially hoped to have the permit parking ordinance in place by Jan. 1, but Strubinger said after Monday’s public comment, that would likely not be the case.

“We have a lot to take into consideration with all of these comments and then we’ll proceed from there,” he said.