MONROE -- Those parking in the lot across from City Hall will have to complete their business in downtown within an hour.

City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday limiting parking to an hour in the lot on Crowell Street. City employees will be given a permit to park in the lot all day and committee members can use the agenda for their meeting in the car window as a permit.

Currently there are 89 spaces in the lot, all of which are unrestricted except for four spaces which are limited to 15 minutes.

In a staff report to the council, engineering director James Loyd said the primary concern was that “the allocated 15 minutes is not adequate for the average customer and the number of spaces provided. The amendment will allow for parking to be limited to 60 minutes....”

Reid Simons, director of government and public affairs with the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, made a presentation to staff on the Monroe Connector.

And the Energy Services Department honored retiring councilmen Bob Smith and P.E. Bazemore with a lamp using light from a gas meter. Bazemore has served 28 years on the council and Smith has served 12 years. Tuesday’s meeting was their last one.