Update January 4, parking: It seems like the parking issue won't be much cooler at the start of 2011.

An e-mail is circulating that encourages those in downtown unhappy with the paid parking situation on Bay Street to come down in a show of numbers to the meeting at 5 p.m. in hopes of swaying council to do a free parking reprieve.

We'll see what happens come 5 p.m.

First reporting January 3: At a Beaufort City Council work session two of the most favorite local politic topics will come up: parking and zoning.

The meeting is set for Tuesday, January 4, at 5 p.m. at the Planning Conference Room at City Hall, 1911 Boundary Street.

The zoning conversation won't be one of the city's more contentious ones and will focus on the continuing talk on how the Bladen Street rezoning appeals process should continue. 

The city is also set for an update on the parking situation and ideas for how to incentivize employees to park further from Bay Street will likely continue.

On the menu, too, are discussion regarding Reynolds Road repaving and discussion on appointments to various boards and commissions.

You can see the full agenda here.

Also worth a mention is that the seven re-elected Beaufort County Council members will once again take the oath of office and elections of a chair and vice-chair will be made at the 4 p.m. meeting today. — The Island Packet has a short report on the forthcoming swearing in and chair election; read it here.