BAR HARBOR – If you didn’t like the new parking rules in the downtown business district this summer, the council had good news and bad news this week.

By unanimous vote, the council directed its advisory parking committee to come up with a new plan in the coming months, with a focus on getting public opinion and involvement.

However, none of the councilors present for the meeting seemed ready to chuck the entire idea of trying to improve the parking situation for both visitors and downtown employees.

Three councilors were absent from the meeting, so the vote was 4-0 for a new start.

Matt Horton, the one councilor who has objected the loudest to the new parking rules, called the parking committee’s plan “largely unpopular and not successful.”

Horton said the committee must get strong public support for any new plan, adding the goal was to “make as many people happy as we can.”

Councilor Ken Smith, the only other councilor to oppose the parking plan, said he does not object to trying to improve parking in the downtown, but said any plan should be implemented at one time.

The committee’s approach has been to ease people into the new rules over several years, including, eventually, paid parking lots.

The first phase was to increase police enforcement and double parking fines, forcing many downtown employees out of their on-street, all-day parking habit.