The San Diego City Council on Monday voted to amend the city's lease with the San Diego Zoo to allow for tiered parking rates, as the city prepares to charge for parking in Balboa Park next month.

, the nonprofit that operates the zoo, has been negotiating with the city for months over paid parking. The city is pursuing parking fees in an effort to avoid deeper cuts to its Parks and Recreation Department budget. Current plans include a discounted parking rate for San Diego residents in some parking lots.

The zoo has the ability to charge for parking today — but its lease of the 100-acre zoo property in Balboa Park requires parking fees to be the same for anyone using the zoo lot.

Adam Day, treasurer for the zoo's board of trustees, declined to say how much the zoo will charge for parkin

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