An informal meeting between Grand Junction city staff and downtown business owners Tuesday afternoon saw myriad complaints about the area’s parking, as the city prepares to pass a budget that would raise rates on hourly meters, reserved spaces and 10-hour parking permits.

City Manager Mike Bennett opened the meeting at the Avalon Theatre saying municipal officials wanted feedback going into the new year.

“The purpose of the fund is to have a system that turns parking spaces over … it’s not a money-maker, it’s not for anything except (preventing) cars sitting in front of a business place all day that never move,” he said. “And if businesses aren’t happy with the system, we have to work something out.”

And feedback they got: business owners at the roundtable sounded off with a variety of

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