Paso Robles residents to cover costs for bad legal advice on paid parking

July 17, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

Four members of the Paso Robles City Council vehemently rejected a proposal by Councilman Chris Bausch on Tuesday evening to seek reimbursement from the city attorney and consultants for the cost of the failed paid parking program.

Despite the majority of downtown business owners arguing the paid parking program was harming their ability to make a living, the city council voted 3-2 in Nov. 2023 to continue the controversial program. Mayor John Hamon and council members Steve Gregory and Sharon Roden voted not only to continue the program, but to also raise the rates.

However, a CalCoastNews investigation revealed the city’s paid parking ordinance violated state law as it did not provide zones or require parking rate changes by ordinance.

After agreeing their downtown paid parking program was not legally set up, the Paso Robles City Council agreed to refund parking tickets given for only the last 12 months of the program. The failures in the program were allegedly the result of bad advice from the city’s attorney firm Best Best & Krieger and other consultants. When canceled, the program was operating more than  half a million dollars in the red.

At the end of Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Bausch asked the council to seek reimbursement for Hull and other consultants for the city’s losses.

“Even though the overwhelmingly successful referendum to overturn the ill-advised and illegal Paid Parking program was rejected by the City of Paso Robles on a technicality, the fact remains that many, if not most, Paso Roblans feel that throughout the duration of the paid parking program, the City Council was given poor advice by advisors that were trusted to know and to do better,” Bausch said. “Tonight, I am asking my fellow council members to join me in requesting that information be researched and brought back to this City Council within the next sixty days as to what redress can be sought against any attorneys, advisors, consultants, vendors or the like who took part in the paid parking program during the past five to six years.

“Given that the city’s current attorney may have participated from time to time in this advice, the City Council should consider directing staff to nominate a pool of alternate attorneys from which council may select to provide this service. Which of my fellow council members will join me in this request?”

The council members looked over at City Manager Ty Lewis who shook his head. Council members Strong, Roden, Hamon and Gregory then denied Bausch’s request.