DeKalb may lose more than $10,000 in revenue if parking tickets, currently $10, are reduced to $3.

“This is an attempt we might have to revisit, but it’s the easiest of all alternatives to start with,” said 6th Ward Alderman David Baker.

Paul Vanderbleek, owner of Chesapeake Bagel Company, 122 S. First St., said parking is a major problem in the downtown area and the fine shouldn’t be changed.

Vanderbleek said employees need to park in spots that allow customers to get more convenient spot. He said if the fine is reduced, people won’t take attention to the limits and will take up valuable space reserved for customers.

“Those spots were better served to be customer spots,” Vanderbleek said. “There was no community level meeting; that’s where the answers would be found.”

Baker said that although there is 12-hour parking in some areas downtown, the majority of these spots are on the other side of the tracks and customers don’t want to park there.

An ordinance will be brought before the council in two weeks.

Liquor license limbo

Council members remained in disagreement over a resolution allowing bars to remain open an hour later on Thursday nights. The resolution also would force Class E license holders to stop serving alcohol an hour earlier than other license holders.

Class E license holders, such as The Barn, 1215 Blackhawk Drive, must receive 60 percent of their profit from food sales, and 40 percent from alcohol.

Second Ward Alderman Kris Povlsen disagreed with the resolution.

“We want the Class E’s to close an hour early, but we want to let them drink later on Thursdays,” Povlsen said. “I think it’s ill-conceived.”

A motion was made to delete the extra hour on Thursdays, but didn’t pass.

Chris Gochis, owner of The Barn, doesn’t agree with the resolution.

“We’ve done things to try and make the city happy and do what they want,” Gochis said. “Why all of a sudden an hour early?”

The resolution will be decided at a council meeting in two weeks.

“We want to make a policy that is going to be beneficial to the welfare of the city,” said 3rd Ward Alderman Steve Kapitan.