The days of free parking in three city lots are over.

Butler soon will offer a $20 monthly parking permit for the Center Avenue, Farmers Market and Quarry Street parking lots.

The permits accompany the city’s rekindled interest in monitoring the lots.

“It’s been a long time since anyone put money in those meters,” Mayor Tom Donaldson said at Tuesday night’s city council meeting.

While the Center Avenue and Farmers Market lots have meters, they have not been frequently checked in recent months, the mayor said.

The Quarry Street lot, which does not have meters, will be permit parking only.

Donaldson was particularly concerned about the Quarry Street lot.

“There are 50 spaces down there and they’re always filled,” he said. “Why should they be parking there for free? It’s like a garage down under the bridge.”

Donaldson said the city will begin towing violators in the Quarry Street lot, which is under the north end of the General Richard Butler Bridge.

“If you’re parking there and not paying, I’m in the mood to tow your car just like they do in Pittsburgh,” he said. “Then you can pay the ticket and to get your car back.”

However, the city must post signs and pass an ordinance before it can tow violators. While it likely won’t be on this month’s agenda, the change is something the new mayor wants to happen soon.

“We have to change how we do business, and we have to make it stick,” Donaldson said. “If we don’t put teeth in it, then nothing will ever change.”

Donaldson said after the Quarry Street signs are installed, the city will explore adding signs to the Center Avenue and Farmers Market parking lots as well.

“We’re not going to drive anyone out of town doing this,” the mayor said. “They’re here anyway. There’s no reason these people are parking for free.”

The city expects to make various announcements, including putting fliers on the windshields of the cars parked in the lot to warn of the enforcement.

Management over city parking lots is divided between the city and the parking authority.

Tough on street repairs

The mayor also made a call for tougher enforcement of ordinances dictating street repair by utility companies.

“I’d like to see (the ordinance) be enforced more strictly,” the mayor said.

Under the city ordinance, utility companies have 30 days to repair streets following the completion of work.

Donaldson said the repairs have not been done as well as expected.

“They’re less than adequate. They’re substandard. They’re nonexistent,” he said of the street repairs. “I’m interested in researching the current ordinance. Whatever we have in place, I’d like to see it stricter so we can require them to maintain the streets.”

Councilman Richard Schontz Jr. said the city will meet with the utility companies to discuss the patchwork.

“We’re going to hold their feet to the fire that we want these done,” he said.

Schontz said the Butler Area Sewer Authority does a good job with its finished patches, but added it typically waits until it has a number of completed areas before hiring a contractor to finish the streets.

“We need to have it done quicker than it’s been done in the past,” Schontz said.

He said tougher enforcement is owed to the residents.

“They pay taxes in the city and expect a certain level of service,” Schontz said.

City council will meet again Thursday night.