The Ad Hoc Parking Task Force committee held two open forums last week where both students and faculty/staff came to voice their opinions, suggestions and solutions to keep parking fees from increasing. The committee went over various parking programs that could potentially increase parking fees.

The one favorable parking program that was mentioned by the task force was the gradual increase over the next few years to help fund a parking structure.

Instead of expanding parking lots, the task force hopes to take the sustainable route by focusing on building a parking structure to keep from creating heat gain for the environment.

One of the task force recommendations stated that student-parking fees would gradually increase each year starting during the 2016-2017 academic year in order to pay for a construction loan.

It was noted in the preliminary report provided by the committee that this was not a unanimous decision.

There were eight members that were in favor and three members that were not in favor, which were students.

The parking forum did not have a good student turn out.

There was information that students would have found valuable as to why they are the ones being the most affected.

“As a student, I was very disappointed in the student turn-out,” Mariam Salameh, ASI President said. “I wish there were more students to voice their concerns, or their issues, or even suggestions for the parking task force committee because they are making recommendations on behalf of the campus community where students are mostly affected by.”

“Especially for students who are getting the burden of the cost and they are not here to voice their opinions or concerns or suggestions. As student leaders on campus, we can do the best we can to voice the students’ concerns and speak on behalf of them but we also need support, we need back up to tell the campus community how it is affecting them.”

The increase of parking fees is said to be due to the assumption of a 1.5 percent enrollment increase in the future.

To prepare for that, funding for a construction loan to build a new parking structure would need to start now.

“I am worried about the direction of what option they will pick,” Boden Holland (senior, Business and Communication Studies) said.

“I personally lean towards researching alternatives to parking structures.”

Associated Students Inc. will host another student forum to discuss issues concerning parking and student success on Feb. 24 at 5 p.m.