AUBURN - Could some local residents be able to purchase permits for parking in downtown Auburn?

That possibility came up Thursday during a city council work session on parking issues. City councilors discussed frequent complaints from residents over the kiosks in hopes of finding a solution.

Perhaps the most common concern has come from elderly residents, according to the council. People have to pay at a kiosk and then return the parking pass to their dashboard, and many people have a hard time walking that much.

And this is only summer.

“In the wintertime, they will have to get out of their cars, go to the kiosk, and then walk back,” Councilor Matthew Smith said.

“It can be very difficult for them.”

One possible solution - a long-term parking pass for senior citizens that can be displayed on the vehicle - had previously been offered by Smith. However, Auburn Police Chief Gary Giannotta told councilors during the meeting that determining a price for such an item would pose a problem.

And how many hours do seniors park in the downtown area over a year? How old should people have to be to qualify for a parking pass?

These are all questions that need to be answered before putting together a program. Even then, there could still be kinks to work out, Giannotta said.

“The only way we are really going to know if this works is by how many permits we sell,” he said.

Auburn Mayor Michael Quill said city parking lots have kiosks that allow people to drive right up to them. Perhaps there could be another drive-up kiosk, he said.

“That solves a lot of problems,” Quill said.

Daniel Schuster, director of the Downtown Auburn Business Improvement District, also pointed out that single meters were recently installed downtown at handicapped spaces. This may have alleviated some of the issues for people who physically can't get to and from a kiosk, he said.

Upon council's request, Schuster said he would conduct a survey of downtown business owners and visitors that will examine parking concerns.

“I don't think the city should try and do something too hasty,” Schuster said.

In other news:

* Local feline organization Feral Cat Friends has seen about 2,500 feral cats at its spay-and-neuter clinics since forming in 1999. But organization representatives said they will need more financial support to be effective in controlling the local feral cat population.

Nobody knows how many feral cats live in Auburn, though the number is definitely in the thousands, said Dale Ottosen, veterinarian for Cayuga Veterinary Services.

“It is a real problem that is not going to go away,” Ottosen said. “In fact, it is getting worse.”

During a Feral Cat Friends clinic, people bring in feral cats they have trapped. The cats are tested for various diseases and vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and then released. The idea behind this tactic is that the fixed cats will keep a steady population without reproducing.

While the organization did not request a specific dollar amount, Alicia McKeen said each clinic costs between $1,200 and $1,500.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net.