Ariana Sawyer

asawyer@tennessean.com

Meet James Vermeersch, Nashville's parking ticket king.

In the past five years, he's racked up more citations on the windshield of his black Chevrolet pickup than anyone else in the city. Not just a few dozen. Try more than 400.

He knew he had a lot, but when the barkeep found out he'd accumulated the most, he laughed and pronounced himself the winner. The 49-year-old had just been scrubbing the restrooms at the time.

Vermeersch has received 406 tickets since July 2011, according to city records, costing him more than $4,500 in that time period. But he said he's been paying tickets since 2007 when he first opened a bar downtown.

"Most of the meter people know me," he said. "I mean, I'm 'the king.' A lot of times I feel like I'm targeted."

But the parking enforcement officers are just doing their job, Metro Public Works spokeswoman Jenna Smith said. And Vermeersch admits he often parks illegally.

Vermeersch, of Mt. Juliet, is one of the owners of the Riverfront Tavern on Church Street at First Avenue. Since he works at the bar during the day, he can't always feed the meter or move his car in time to avoid a ticket. He also said he has to park nearby in case he needs to run a quick errand if the bar runs out of a crucial item. So the nearly half-mile walk to the Courthouse Garage is out of the question.

Public Works officials say the parking meters and time limits create turnover and maximize the use of each parking space to accommodate short-term parking demand. And with a projected 1 million new Nashvillians over the next 25 years, that turnover will likely become even more important.

But Vermeersch and his staff need long-term options.

"We’ve tried to buy spots," he said. "The closest, most reasonable one was a block and a half away, two blocks away, and it was over $200 per month. That just seems excessive to me."

Parking is one of the biggest issues for those who travel in and around downtown, a 2014 Metro Public Works study found after surveying 400 people. Most were especially unhappy with the cost of downtown parking. Public Works noted that the cost complaints are in spite of the fact that the base cost of parking in Nashville is comparable with other cities but that the response was likely attributed to higher parking prices during events, which occur regularly in downtown.

Other data shows the downtown Nashville area's parking rates have risen 5 percent annually over the past eight years, according to the Nashville Downtown Partnership, while 80 percent of employees drive alone to work in the area.

The city is taking steps to improve transportation downtown, working to execute a $6 billion regional transit plan over the next 25 years and install more solar powered pay-by-space on-street parking systems that accept credit cards instead of change only.

But in the meantime, Vermeersch said paying each $11 ticket is more affordable than buying a spot or paying $36 per day to park in the lot across the street.

Why downtown Nashville parking rates have been rising

The only private parking garage with an available monthly parking spot nearby would cost $185 per month, while Vermeersch averages about $75 a month in parking tickets. That amount does not include the change he occasionally feeds the meter.

Parking Enforcement Officer Anthony Hayes has issued most of Vermeersch's citations, according to city records and Vermeersch's own recollection. The stony-faced officer recently gave Vermeersch two tickets in one day.

"(It was) when I walked up to get something out of my truck. I’m like, ‘Really dude? A second one?’ " Vermeersch said. "He just shakes his head — doesn’t say a word.”

Riverside Tavern co-owner Chris Hackett said that while he gets fewer tickets working the night shift, most of his own citations go unpaid. Vermeersch is diligent about paying the fines.

“I know Jim just has given up,” he said. Hackett currently owes the city at least $1,700 for 18 unpaid tickets stretching back to 2012, according to city records, and that doesn't include taxes and potential court fees.

Out of all the citations Vermeersch has received, only 11 have been dismissed, according to city records. He typically mails in the payment within one week of receiving the ticket.

But it seems it's a never-ending battle.

One Riverside Tavern bartender who worked on the Fourth of July for eight hours left work with $160 in tips only to find her car had been towed, Vermeersch said. She forked over all but $10 of those tips to get the car back.

"I know they offer free parking for city employees," Vermeersch said. "Why can't they offer it to other employees?"

The city has generated over $5.6 million in parking-related fines and payments since 2011, according to Bill Cartwright, Chief Deputy Clerk of the Traffic Violations Bureau. And Vermeersch said he wishes government officials would use some of that general fund money to operate lots where people who work downtown could park nearby for free.

"It's really hard with all the festivals: Fourth of July, New Year's Eve, the Music City Bowl, marathons," Vermeersch said. "You have to park farther and farther away."

Reach Ariana Sawyer at 615-259-8382 or on Twitter @a_maia_sawyer.