For more than 40 years, drivers in downtown La Crosse have been able to park on the street for free, without having to stop at parking meters at the curb.

To compensate for the lack of parking meters, the city has set up a parking facility. Businesses in the city center must pay an annual fee to pay for the parking patrols.

According to Assistant Police Chief Jason Melby, the compensation could rise to $170,000 next year, helping to offset some of the nearly $1.3 million cost.

“The $175,000 offsets some of the cost,” Melby told the La Crosse Board of Public Works on Monday. “We do have staff that patrols the curbside in downtown on a regular basis.”

Melby says that the use of city centre car parks has declined significantly in recent years, likely due to more people working from home, meaning the city is receiving less money from car park fees than it used to.

La Crosse’s parking assessment dates back to 1982, when parking meters were removed from downtown streets. The board approved the latest assessment plan Monday.