The city of St. Joseph has just found some additional parking spaces for the coming summer.

We reported in January that the city asked Berrien County for permission to use the courthouse parking lot for public parking during the busy tourist season. Speaking at Thursday’s meeting of the Berrien County Board of Commissioners, the administration committee’s Jim Curran said his research into the matter is complete, and the committee’s decided to allow the city use of the lot. It will come with some stipulations.

“And it’s basically the west parking lot only,” Curran said. “It doesn’t include the employee parking. It doesn’t include anything to do with the sheriff’s department. It’s Monday through Friday after 6 p.m. and then on Saturday and Sunday. Any enforcement action will be taken by the DPS there at the City of St. Joe.”

Curran said this means the current signage at the lot will have to be taken down and replaced with signs that explain the parking rules to the public.

The city’s request to use the lot comes as it grapples with several parking changes this summer. That includes the rollout of paid parking west of Main Street.

The county administration committee’s decision does not have to be approved by the full Berrien County Board of Commissioners.