Fork, Brickyard, Berryhill – these are some of the restaurants Cece Gassner says have asked the city of Boise for permission to hire valets to park cars. Boise’s City Council takes a first look Tuesday at an ordinance to govern valet parking downtown. Gassner is an economic development assistant to Boise’s mayor. She says Boise wants to establish some ground rules.
“They want to make sure that the operators are licensed, that the people that they’re employing have had a background check," she says. "I’m sure you wouldn’t want to give up your car to someone you find out later has had this long string of car robbery charges on his or her record.”
Gassner says businesses like the Grove Hotel that already have valet pick-up on their own property, and park the cars in their own lots, are fine. But valet stands on city streets require some regulation. Gassner does not usually work on transportation ordinances. But she says from a development perspective the valet parking requests are a good sign.
"I think it shows signs of an even more maturing city," she says "There’s a lot of people who want to come to downtown to really experience everything that’s here, people who are looking for that sort of bigger city amenity.”
Gassner says Boise should have rules in place to regulate valet parking by next month.