Perkins Rowe customers used to free parking in front of stores are in for a rude awakening because of newly installed parking meters.
 John Jones, Perkins Rowe security director, said the purpose of the parking meters is to control resident and employee parking, keeping a constant turnover of prime parking spots.
 ”The meters keep spots open in front of retail businesses,” he said. “Sometimes residents will have guests who park on the street, blocking close parking spots. That’s bad for businesses.”
Security officers began issuing citations June 1, though Jones said he cannot release the number of citations issued.
 Jones said the penalty for an expired meter is a $5 citation, but repeat offenders will eventually be towed, though there is no set number for repeat violations.  He said management does not anticipate raising ticket prices.
 ”The penalties are not about impunitive action or making money off tickets,” he said. “We just want to educate people that they are in a metered spot.”
 Jones said the parking meter system requires costs for man power and the citation process, though management hopes the system will pay for itself.
 Parking meters run from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week. Thirty minutes cost $0.25, and there is a two-hour time limit.
 The parking meters were slowly implemented with a gradual process, Jones said.
 ”First we installed them but kept them covered with white bags,” he said. “We removed the bags for four weeks before implementing the meters.”
 Jones said management put fliers on cars parked in metered spots during the four-week grace period, notifying customers of the new parking meter system.
Ashlee Olivier, Sunglass Icon sales associate, said many customers don’t have coins and are constantly asking store employees to make change.
 ”Customers don’t like the meters,” she said. “Most customers are just coming in to grab something and don’t want to pay for the meters.”
 Olivier said fewer customers park in metered spots during the week, though Sunglass Icon’s business has not changed.
 Jane Cannon, Levi’s assistant manager, said customers are confused and caught off guard by the new meters. She said many customers don’t realize there is free parking in the garage.
“The main reason for the meters is to deter employee and resident parking, which has decreased,” she said. “But it’s still a pain in the butt.”
Jenni Nguyen, Levi’s sales associate, said the meters are a disadvantage to businesses because they distract customers from shopping.
“They [customers] don’t have time to shop around and enjoy [the stores] because they are constantly keeping an eye on their cars and the meter,” she said.
Shelly Dick, Perkins Rowe customer, said she doesn’t like the meters because they are another expense that wasn’t previously there.
“It’s supposed to be a community,” she said. “They didn’t have meters before. Why have them now?”
Carlene Ortego, Perkins Rowe customer, said she has no problem with the meters and still parks in front of stores.
“I don’t mind [the meters]; they obviously need them if they put them up,” she said. “When you get older, parking closer to the store is easier, but I still park in the garage sometimes.”
In addition to parking meters, Perkins Rowe management is in the process of installing security cameras in the garage. Jones said the cameras were in the original plans and are not in response to security concerns.Jones declined to comment on whether Perkins Rowe has experienced security issues in the garage.
Casey Hicks, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office public information director, said in an e-mail that Perkins Rowe employs off-duty deputies to work night and weekend security.
“I don’t have any [security] concerns with parking in the garage during the day,” Ortego said. “Though at night, I get a little more safety conscious.”
Beth Goidel, Perkins Rowe customer, said she prefers to park in metered spots, though she feels safe parking in the garage.  
“I don’t feel threatened or scared in the garage,” she said. “I have no concerns with safety, I just hate maneuvering through the garage.”
Jones said the parking meters, part of the original Perkins Rowe plans, account for 7 percent of parking spaces. Free parking is available in parking lots and garages — management does not anticipate charging for garage parking, he said.
—–Contact Steven Powell at [email protected]