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It has almost been a full year since paid parking was introduced at the Deep River and District Hospital, with the goal of preserving our ability to provide exceptional care. Thank you for your ongoing cooperation with the “pay by plate” system. The funds generated from parking this past year have provided necessary financial support for the organization to maintain vital services for our communities.
With the system in place, individuals enter their license plate number to pay for parking when they arrive at one of two parking kiosks located inside the building. Once their license plate is registered and the fee is paid (by coin or credit card), the individual does not need to return to their car. Failing to pay for parking, or parking along the roads in violation of the Town of Deep River bylaw, may result in being ticketed or being towed at the owner’s expense. The rates for parking continue to be $5 for 24 hours, $30 for a 30-day pass, or $300 for a 365-day pass.
While the Hospital receives tremendous financial support through the Deep River and District Hospital Foundation and Auxiliary for equipment, DRDH is facing difficult challenges in meeting its day-to-day operating costs. Many of these costs are beyond the Hospital’s control and continue to increase at a higher rate than government funding. Implementing paid parking has allowed the Hospital to focus the government funding received on direct patient care and programs inside of the Hospital, while using the proceeds from parking to pay for overheads in relation to the outside of the Hospital.
The implementation of paid parking, in November of 2017, was a contributing factor to the organization being able to end the 2017/2018 fiscal year in a balanced position. In the previous fiscal year, with voluntary paid parking in place, the organization received just over $8,400. In 2017-2018, which only included five months of mandatory paid parking, the organization received over $44,000.
Revenues from paid parking are an important factor as the development process for the 2019/2020 budget is underway. Budget development is taking place in a tough economic climate this year, where it is unknown if the three significant government funding programs from which the Hospital received funds last year will continue moving forward.
There will be a change coming to the Hospital parking lot in the next month. To assist the Auxiliary Gift Shop, two parking spots will be designated for Gift Shop patrons – allowing 20 minutes of free parking for people to shop within the store front. The hours of operation at the Gift Shop are generally 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, and 6:30 – 8:00 pm on Monday through Friday, depending on volunteer availability.
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