It’s time for city hall to consider clamping down on privately owned parking lots in downtown London, one politician says.

As one Londoner’s Facebook post over a parking ticket costing up to $74 gathered steam Monday, Coun. Mo Salih decided he’ll raise the issue next month.

He’ll ask his colleagues on council’s community and protective services committee to direct staff to study two things:

To “ensure parking infractions on privately owned lots are enforced in the same manner as city-owned parking lots.”

To “ensure that any fines are set at a reasonable level and fines, or appeals of fines, are handled with fairness and consistency.”

In an interview Monday, Salih said he believes a review of options is important to the health of downtown.

“We want to ensure people come to the core, come and visit our city,” he said. “And when they’re getting penalized, sometimes with excessive fines, it sends the wrong message.

“People should really follow the city’s lead when it comes to private lots.”

The Facebook post, by Jeremy McCall, prompted the owner of a downtown business, Scotty’s Shine Shop on York Street, to respond with his own concerns about downtown parking-lot management.

“It’s beyond frustrating,” Scott Perkin said. “Ultimately, it’s an encumbrance in terms of the time I’ve spent dealing with issues with their patrollers. It’s a waste of my time and energy.”

pmaloney@postmedia.com