The Parking Policy Committee is in the planning stage of creating a paid parking section on campus that would only be available to visitors and students who pay an extra fee. When events are held at the University, the parking spaces located behind the Student Union are usually designated for visitors. This is generally indicated through a message sent via student e-mail and by roping off the lot on the day of the event.

“Local area schools that use the campus for events usually drop the kids off by bus. So it’s not a problem,” Brittany Taraba, a member of the committee, said. “But when some groups use the Cotillion Ballroom to do luncheons, the lot is generally closed off.”

Taraba said some students who do not check their e-mail on a regular basis have been getting frustrated when they are running late and see the spot where they normally park roped off.

One possible solution proposed by the committee was that the entire lot behind the Student Union be closed to regular commuters and reserved for those that would pay an extra nominal fee. Those who wish to pay the fee would receive a different parking decal indicating that they are allowed to park in the provided spaces.

“This would alleviate the stress to students who don’t check their e-mail often and see the lot closed for an event,” Taraba said. “If the lot were permanently closed to regular commuters, then the students would already know that those spots were unavailable.”

Taraba said senators from the committee have talked with some students at the University to see how they feel about the proposed change in policy. “Some students are completely against it,” Taraba said.

Taraba said there are other ideas that the committee is considering as well.

“Some schools have parking meters in certain areas, while others have a gated section with a person working it,” Taraba said. “We are still in the process of trying to see what will work for Nicholls.”

The committee is working with campus police to find a solution to the issue.

Craig Jaccuzzo, director of University Police, said although many people are saying that the lot behind the Student Union will be the one chosen for the paid area, nothing is set in stone yet. The possibility of closing the lot to all students on days when events are held and then charging a fee on other days is also still on the table.

“Students would pay a minimal fee for a prime spot,” Jaccuzzo said.

As part of the collaboration between the committee and University Police, Jaccuzzo has gone to other universities to observe how their paid parking sections are delegated.

“About six or seven of them had fees ranging from two to five dollars,” Jaccuzzo said. “Some of them had a meter, and others had an attendant. For the most part, students seemed to be satisfied with the systems.”

Although no plans have been officially made for dealing with the parking issue, the committee is still working to come up with a solution.

Mike Davis, head of the committee, said everyone recognizes that it is a problem and that they are trying to create a solution.