Shasta court officials secure agreement for jurors to park for free in downtown garage

Just in time for Juror Appreciation Week, the Shasta County Superior Court announced Wednesday that people serving on jury duty can park for free in the parking garage near the corner of Tehama and California streets downtown.

“The last thing that we want to do is impact jurors in a negative way. We want people to report for jury duty. We need them,” Shasta County Superior Court Executive Officer Melissa Fowler-Bradley said Wednesday afternoon.

The California Legislature each year designates the second full week in May as Juror Appreciation Week to honor those who serve.

Fowler-Bradley said she secured an agreement with K2 Development and the company that manages the parking garage, ACE Parking.

It comes a month after the Redding City Council voted 3-2 not to pause parking enforcement of jurors’ vehicles around the new courthouse for 90 days while Fowler-Bradley worked to find more parking for jurors.

Fowler-Bradley told the council on April 16 that jurors who could not find a place in the jury parking lot on Oregon Street would park on the street, and then some would return to find a ticket on their windshield. Street parking for jurors wasn't a problem before the city started enforcement.

Mayor Tenessa Audette, Vice Mayor Julie Winter and Mayor Pro Tempore Jack Munns voted not to pause parking enforcement. Councilors Mike Dacquisto and Mark Mezzano voted for the grace period.

Fowler-Bradley told the Record Searchlight that the parking garage on California Street was the site she was working on to secure, and that after the April 16 council meeting, she went into overdrive to get it done.

“We definitely put this on the fast track after that city council meeting, when it became apparent that we weren’t going to get any relief from the city,” she said. “I wanted to get something in place as soon as possible.”

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The parking garage is about two blocks east of the courthouse and Fowler-Bradley said there should be plenty of spaces to accommodate overflow parking for jurors. "I made the walk. It's actually a very pleasant walk. It takes a little less than five minutes," she said.

Jurors parking in the California Street garage will not have to place their summons on their vehicle dashboard. They will take their parking ticket they get at the garage to the courthouse and at any time while on jury duty, bring it to the Jury Assembly Room on the first floor (Room 170) to get it validated.

Fowler-Bradley said jurors can park in any unrestricted space in the garage. Jurors also can park for free in the lot at 1501 Oregon Street behind the new courthouse.

Shasta County Superior Court has a six-month agreement with K2, Fowler-Bradley said, adding that it gives court officials time to collect data on how many jurors are using the parking garage.

“At the end of the month, I will receive the invoice from the parking company that will show the number of hours” jurors used to park in the garage, Fowler-Bradley said. “But my hope and my anticipation is that it will develop into a much longer-term agreement,” she added.

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on X, formerly Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Downtown Redding parking garage gives jurors another place to park