Moose Jaw city council will be holding off on making a decision about free two-hour parking downtown over the Christmas season until later in November. 

On Monday night, the Moose Jaw and District Chamber of Commerce made a request to have free parking from Dec. 21 to 24. However, the Downtown Moose Jaw Association was not consulted before the item came before city council. 

Acting Mayor Dawn Luhning said it would be best to get the Downtown Association’s input because the last time the city had free parking over Christmas, in 2013, it did not go over well. 

“The reason being is that we do have some businesses downtown that does not approve of this for the reasons of abuse,” Luhning said.  

“We could risk the issue of it being 30 below or minus 25 and sometimes the employees of some of the businesses downtown will park at those meters all day long and continue to plug them or whatever.” 

City administration was asked by city council how long it would take to implement free parking, considering that the Downtown Association’s next meeting isn’t slated until Nov. 9. 

“The parking app is something that we can manage ourselves and again it would be a matter of communicating with Moose Jaw Police Service about the relaxed parking on the 21st to the 24th or whatever days we choose,” said City Manager Jim Puffalt. 

Coun. Jamey Logan made the motion to table the item until the Nov. 22 meeting of city council, which was passed 4-2 with Councilors Doug Blanc and Kim Robinson opposed. 

Blanc and Robinson felt this initiative would help struggling businesses and the two-hour time limit on the free parking would be enforced. 

“I think the Downtown Business Association, a lot of businesses, have suffered over the last year and a half and I think maybe this is a stepping stone to try and accommodate them a little bit and help,” Blanc said. 

Commissionaires that usually do parking enforcement would enforce the time limit by patrolling and ticketing any vehicles that haven’t moved in two hours.