PARKING PROBLEMS AT THE ICE PALACE HAVE CITY ON THE HOOK

          The influx of Lightning fans parking in private lots
     next to the Ice Palace means the city "may have to use
     general parking revenues to meet financial obligations" to
     the team, according to Joe Henderson of the TAMPA TRIBUNE. 
     Officials project up to $200,000 may have to go to the
     Lightning from the overall parking fund unless people start
     using city lots.  Tampa Parking Director Gene Bressler:
     "We're not getting the total numbers of parkers we thought
     we'd get."  Under the Lightning's Ice Palace lease, the city
     pays the team at least $1M annually for parking fees and
     ticket surcharges. The city charges $6 in public garages for
     Lightning games and Bressler said that only about 70% of
     available city spaces are being used on average during
     Lightning games.  One recent game saw 1,500 cars on private
     lots.  The city will check to make sure private lots, many
     which are "unlit vacant land tracts," are properly licensed,
     and "may crack down" on violators (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 11/23).