Harrisburg City Council is ready to take the next step in considering whether or not to approve a plan to lease the city's parking garages. They will be taking bids from financial advisors interested in steering them along in their decision process.

Council hosted a public hearing Thursday night at a warm Camp Curtin YMCA. But only a handful of residents showed up to voice their opinions on the issue. Council president Linda Thompson was stunned and disappointed by the small crowd for such an important issue.

There won't be any hearings for a couple of months while council gets direction from their advisor. That process will take several weeks while a decision on the proposal is still several months away.

It was back in May that Harrisburg mayor Stephen Reed proposed leasing the garages for 75 years at a cost of $215 million. The money would go to the city and be used for such things as cutting taxes, paying off debt and hiring extra police officers.

Council has heard from the mayor, from the union workers of the parking authority, from residents and from lobbyists trying to get the plan passed. But it is the independent advisor they are anxious to hear from about what is best for the city.

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