The Hastings District Council's draft annual plan goes out for consultation next month, signalling an overall 1.2 per cent rate increase in the 2017/18 year and asking for the public's feedback on some big ticket spending items.
Hastings councillors yesterday signed off on the document, which asked for the community's views on three main issues: Investing in the Regional Sports Park development, contributing to the building of an extended seawall at Clifton beach and whether or not people wanted metered or rated car parking in central Hastings.
A free parking trial in the Hastings CBD was due to end in June, in the meantime ratepayers were being asked whether they wished to continue with this regime, which would be paid for through rates, or to revert to metered parking.
The metered option, with the possibility of introducing new technology allowing payments through credit cards or phone apps, was budgeted for in the plan, but would come at an increased meter cost of $1.20 an hour from $1 an hour.
If people wanted to pay through rates that would come at an increased rating charge of $65 a year for commercial property owners, $22 a year for wider urban property owners and $11 a year for rural property owners.