Carbon County officials took the step to increase the parking fee in the county parking lot next year even though Jim Thorpe business owners urged them to reconsider their decision.

On Thursday, the commissioners approved an amendment to the parking fee ordinance, raising the fee in the county parking lot from April to December. During the week, people will now pay $6 for a car, while on weekends, the cost to park a car in the lot will be $10.

Before the vote, four business owners and a Jim Thorpe borough councilwoman spoke out against the hike, citing the decrease in visitors the last time the county tried to raise the parking fees.

Tom Lux, owner of the Mauch Chunk 5&10, asked the commissioners to delay the vote because the hike, in particular, hurts the locals who utilize the lot while working and visiting the town.

“It is not fair to overcharge them for parking on land they own,” he said, asking why the rates need to go up 67 percent at one time. “Why shouldn’t county residents have like half price like you have at Mauch Chunk Lake Park?

“There’s a limit to what people will pay. Especially from April to July.”

He also asked about the results of a recent parking study that Jim Thorpe completed.

The commissioners said the recommendation showed that the county should build a parking deck in the county lot.

“We’re not going to do that because it would ruin the view of the Lehigh River and take away from the architectural beauty that is out there by putting that monstrosity across the street,” Commissioner William O’Gurek said.

Lux also questioned the amount of money in the parking fund from the fees collected this year.

Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard said the money in that fund is used to improve the county buildings without having to raise taxes to do so.

In 2013, the county repointed the bricks of the train station at a cost of $17,760 and renovated the train station bathrooms for $121,000.

In 2014, the county refinished and painted the visitor center for $17,676 and in 2015 and 2016, upgraded the fire alarm and electrical systems at a cost of $57,134.50.

In 2017, replaced or repaired brick pavers and did concrete work in Josiah White Park for $10,000 and repaved the sally port behind the courthouse for the sheriff’s department for $8,000.

“We have made continual improves here at no cost to the taxpayers,” Gerhard said.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein added that in addition to infrastructure improvements, the fund is used to reimburse the county general fund for hours put in by maintenance and will be where the pedestrian bridge maintenance and inspection fees will come from once the bridge is open.

The county is also looking at putting in a new boiler system in the train station due to its age and will need to look at repaving the whole county lot, which will increase the price tag above the $300,000 Carbon received from the Route 903 bridge project, Nothstein said.

Betty Lou McBride, owner of the Old Jail Museum and other businesses in the historic district of Jim Thorpe, said that if people are turned off by the parking fee increase and don’t visit Jim Thorpe, business after business will eventually shut down.

“We need 10,000 people to pay our bills to keep (the jail) open,” she said. “If 100 cars don’t come because of the parking fee, that’s about 6,000 (fewer people) a month. We can’t afford that. It’s going to have a disastrous effect.”

Lux, Michael Guy, owner of Rainbow’s End, and Dina Nehring, owner of Mauch Chunk Ink, suggested going to a kiosk system in the lot instead of the ticket booth.

“I’m not disputing the money you need, but I am after fairness,” Guy said. “I think you should really put the kiosks in as soon as you can.

“If you’re interested at all about the business communities you should seriously think about the kiosk systems,” he added. “I would do that before I raise the rates.”

Nothstein said that the commissioners are already in the process of looking at a kiosk system for the lot.

Jim Thorpe Borough Councilwoman Edith Lukasevich suggested the county and council build a relationship to try to solve the existing parking problem.

The commissioners also approved a resolution establishing rates for monthly parking fees in the lot, effective Jan. 1.

Five-day parking is $40 per month, while seven-day parking is $50 a month.

The county increased the parking lot fees on weekends to $10 in 2013; but then decreased the fees again in 2014 after many businesses spoke out against it.