The Dimmick Memorial Library is asking Jim Thorpe Borough Council to approve a 15-minute parking space on Broadway to help local patrons who struggle to find parking during busy tourist weekends.

“I’m coming to the council today is to propose a designated 15-minute parking spot in front of the library on Broadway somewhere,” Kristina Czwakiel, a library representative, said during Thursday’s council workshop. “We’re not really picky on where it is.”

She pointed out that the nearby Jim Thorpe Neighborhood Bank already has two such spots and that the library is hoping for a similar accommodation.

“The main reason for this is just because it’s a community resource, and there’s really a need for it,” Czwakiel said. “A lot of our patrons can’t come in, especially on Saturday, specifically because of the tourists and there’s really nowhere to park.”

Czwakiel also addressed a second related issue regarding staff parking on Saturdays.

“I recently got a ticket back in February on a Saturday because I had to drop something off,” she said. “There’s nowhere to park on Saturday when there are tourists over there, so I parked in a bank parking spot, put my pass that we were given that says library, and I still got a ticket, and I was there for 10 minutes.”

Czwakiel said that if the 15-minute spot is approved, the staff parking issue may be resolved.

Council did not make any decisions at the workshop, but indicated the proposal would be taken under consideration.

“We’ve denied a couple businesses who requested loading and unloading spots,” Council President Greg Strubinger said.