All over UTM, students agree on the parking issue. Students are questioning the lack of parking spaces and what many feel is unfair ticketing. However, campus officials assure students that there is adequate parking available for all students, faculty and staff.

“Last year was bad, but this year is ridiculous,” says Leah Pinkston, a Browning Hall resident.

Pinkston was given three tickets for failure to purchase a parking sticker. She said she purchased the sticker but forgot to put it on her car before leaving for the weekend. She explained this to campus officials who apologized but told her that she would have to pay the fines.

“I know I was wrong for forgetting to put the new sticker on my car, but I know others who had tickets ripped up for similar reasons. I think campus police should have given me a break on at least two of the tickets, especially since the parking situation is so bad this year,” Pinkston adds.

Earl Wright, director of housing, states, “I do not feel that the parking situation is a direct result of the housing situation; it is a result of enrollment. We just have more students enrolled here than last year.”

Confident that the situation will resolve itself, Wright says, “Every year there are complaints about parking. Just give it time and it will level out.”

On how parking fines are spent, Public Safety Director Rick Hatler said that the money is spent on upkeep.

“All money from fines go to upkeep existing UTM parking lots and for the construction of new ones. It also goes to pay employees who ticket violators and inspect and report parking lot damages,” says Hatler.

Hatler assures students that there are adequate parking spaces for UTM students. Hatler wants the public to know that government funds cannot be used for parking related purposes. He urges students to arrive early if they want a good parking place.

Although he did not confirm a date, Hatler said that UTM plans to build at least one new parking lot in the near future.