Fines for most parking offenses in Bangor would double under a proposal that the City Council will consider next Monday.

The Municipal Operations Committee approved the proposal Wednesday afternoon. It recommends a parking management plan that calls for hiring two new ticket-writers, increasing nearly all ticket prices, and shortening the time it takes for scofflaws to be placed on the “boot list.”

The plan establishes a Downtown Parking Management Area for on-street parking. Within the zone, the plan would reduce the number of two-hour parking spaces and increase the number of one-hour spaces, Kenneth Gibb, director of community and economic development, told committee members.

Additionally, the number of half-hour spots would be reduced.

Those remaining would be at the request of the merchants whose stores the spaces are in front of, said Carol LaBella, director of the Bangor Center Management Corp. The shops, dry cleaners, cobblers and the like have customers that need only five or 10 minutes to run in and out, it was explained.

As for hiring more ticket writers, Councilor Mary Sullivan said, “We’ve had our discussions for four years now about the whole parking program, culminating in the construction of the parking garage.”

And, Sullivan said, meters had been an integral part of those discussions. “But with no meters we’ll need stronger enforcement,” she added. “If we’re not going to go with meters, and we’re not, we have to support this program.”

Most of the meeting was spent discussing raising the cost of parking tickets.

Thought should be given to why the fees are being raised, Councilor Jeffrey Sosnaud said. “Is it to increase turnover or raise revenues? If higher fees lead to better compliance, will revenues drop? I’m for this because of turnover, not because of enhanced revenue.”

City Manager Edward Barrett said that with the higher prices, revenue would increase by 50 percent even if the number of tickets decreases because compliance improves.

While supporting increased waiver fees, Councilor William Cohen said he did not want to double the cost of the most commonly written ticket — overtime parking. It should be increased to $7.50 from $5, he said.

“Despite the fact that every merchant stood up and said `Double it,’ at some point people are going to ask for a kinder and gentler downtown Bangor,” he said.

“Personally, I think you’re going to alienate more people with $10 tickets than with parking meters,” Gibb said. “Staff was going to originally propose $7.50.”

And the committee accepted a proposal by Bangor Police Lt. Randy Harriman. He said that the period following a third ticket that a scofflaw’s car is eligible for the Denver boot should be decreased from 30 days to 14 days.

The committee also agreed to a proposal that waiver fees be doubled if they are not paid within 30 days.