MEETING DATE:
OCTOBER 23, 2018
SUBJECT:
Title
PILOT PROGRAM FOR PERMIT PARKING: (i) RESOLUTION NO. 2018-8554 - PROPOSED RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT A ONE YEAR PILOT PROGRAM FOR PERMIT PARKING IN THE ROSEMONT NEIGHBORHOOD; AND (ii) PROVIDE COUNCIL DIRECTION ON THE FRAMEWORK FOR ANY POTENTIAL FUTURE CITY PERMIT PARKING PROGAM
Body
Recommendation
Recommendation
ADOPT a resolution authorizing the City Manager to implement a one (1) year pilot program for permit parking in the Rosemont neighborhood, and provide Council direction on the potential framework for any future City parking permit program.
Body
Board or Commission Action
City Council direction August 14, 2018
Relevant Council Strategic Theme
Quality of Life
Relevant Department Goal
Not applicable
Executive Summary
At the City Council meeting on August 14, 2018, during which parking issues in the Rosemont neighborhood were discussed, the City Council directed staff to return on October 23, 2018 with more information regarding a pilot permit parking program for that neighborhood. If approved, today’s action would authorize the City Manager to implement a one-year pilot permit parking program in the Rosemont area, beginning with restrictions from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The proposed Resolution would also authorize the City Manager to modify the hours, administration and enforcement methods and levels for that neighborhood as needed based upon input from City staff, as well as the Rosemont homeowners association and residents.
This one-year time period would be used to gather information regarding the benefits, challenges and actual costs of administering such a program in San Marcos. This pilot program would only be applicable to the Rosemont neighborhood during the pilot period, but it would serve as a model for potential future implementation in other locations within the City. If approved, the proposed Resolution would also approve the basic framework and criteria for any future City permit parking program that may be implemented after the one (1) year pilot program concludes. However, it should be noted that additional action would be needed by the City Council to initiate a broader permit parking program if the pilot program is successful.
Discussion
In recent years, parking issues have become a focal point in some areas of the City including, but not limited to, the Rosemont neighborhood. Many of these issues are connected directly or indirectly to major institutions and generators such as the universities and colleges located within the City.
Rosemont Pilot Program
History & Background
The Rosemont community is located off of Twin Oaks Valley Road and Village Drive near commercial centers and California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) (see Attachment A). For several years, Rosemont residents have expressed concerns to the City regarding high levels of on-street parking in the neighborhood by persons living outside of the immediate area. Residents have observed frequent vehicle turnover, or, in some cases, vehicles left on the street for extended periods of time (e.g., 48 or 72 hours). This has left limited overflow parking for residents and their guests. It has also resulted in complaints related to noise, litter, traffic, and safety. The residents are generally concerned that the public streets in this area are being used excessively to accommodate parking demand from outside of the neighborhood. City staff have responded by increasing patrols and citations for offenses (e.g., leaving a vehicle parked in one location on the street for 72 hours), as well as working with CSUSM to study the issues.
In 2017, Rosemont residents and the San Marcos Community Corporation/Rosemont Community Association (Association) signed a petition requesting that permit parking be implemented in their neighborhood. At that time, staff indicated that a permit program was not viable due to costs and the absence of a formal framework for managing such a program and its likely expansion. In May of 2018, following further study and discussion with staff, the Association requested that time restricted parking be implemented as an alternative. Specifically, they requested that on-street parking be limited to two (2) hour periods between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays.
City staff presented the time-restricted parking option to the City Council on August 14, 2018. City Council directed staff instead to perform additional research on the permit parking concept, analyze costs and prepare other recommendations, and directed that staff return to the City Council on October 23, 2018. The Council also directed staff to coordinate with CSUSM and Palomar College regarding their potential participation in such a program. At this time, based on initial discussions with both institutions, it is not anticipated that either school would participate.
Program Analysis and Recommendation
Following Council’s direction, staff analyzed various scenarios for a pilot program in order to recommend a cost-effective approach for the City and for Rosemont residents. Staff considered the hours and cost of enforcement based on the small size of the Rosemont neighborhood (68 homes) and the limited number of potential on-street parking spaces in the neighborhood (approximately 150). Staff also aimed to develop a program that did not overly restrict resident or guest parking on weekends or during the evening.
Given these parameters, a program with limited enforcement hours is recommended. It is recommended that the pilot permit program be limited to weekdays (Monday through Friday) from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., excluding holidays. This would address daytime university and college-related parking overflow and would minimize impacts to residents. However, if the recommended permit hours are not sufficient or have unforeseen impacts to residents, it is recommended that the City Manager be authorized to work with the community and the homeowners association to revise the hours or enforcement strategy.
Costs
A permit program would restrict the general public’s use of public right of way, an asset ultimately paid for through public funding. For this reason, and due to the direct and indirect cost and administrative obligations of permit parking programs, it is recommended that the residents enjoying the highest use of the streets pay in full for the permit parking program.
In the case of Rosemont, costs would ultimately be spread amongst the participating homes. These costs would be primarily associated with additional enforcement staff needed to implement the program. Permit costs may change if enforcement levels change or if participation levels are lower than expected. At this time, it is projected that each home would be allowed up to two (2) annual permit passes with the opportunity to purchase guest passes on a short-term basis for a relatively nominal fee. Guest passes would be limited by available on-street parking and the number of resident permits purchased.
It is anticipated that costs for annual resident permits in the Rosemont neighborhood would be considerably higher than some others in the region (e.g., between $5-$10 per year in the City of San Diego and City of Encinitas) and more in line with areas in neighboring Orange County (e.g., Laguna Beach, $200 per year per permit). Residents would only pay for staff time dedicated to enforcement of the permit program in their neighborhood, resulting in an anticipated starting cost of $78 per permit based on the proposed program hours and staffing levels.
During the pilot program, one (1) additional part-time parking enforcement staff person would be needed to enforce intermittently throughout the total time period of enforcement (12 hours). This is based on shift cycles and a limitation on the number of hours per week that each part-time staff person may work. The City’s existing part-time parking enforcement staff work concurrently at certain times during the week for efficiency based on existing parking regulations. For the pilot hours as proposed, the starting assumption is that an additional part-time staff person would be required to enforce intermittently over the full span of the restricted parking period. It is estimated that the additional part-time parking enforcement officer would dedicate 50% of their time to Rosemont, with the other 50% dedicated to other areas of the City.
The formula for calculating permit costs would be as follows:
Total Program Cost / # Resident Permits = Permit Cost
For example, assuming each residence in Rosemont (total 68 residences) is issued two (2) permits, that would mean that there are one hundred and thirty six (136) active resident permits (68 homes x 2 permits= 136 permits). By dividing the resident’s 50% share of the program costs (explained in the Fiscal Impact section below) of $10,630 per year by the maximum 136 resident permits, a permit cost of $78 per permit, or $156 per home, is generated ($10,630 Total Program Cost / 136 Resident Permits = $78 per Permit; $78 permit x 2 permits per home= $156 per home). It would be expected that each residence could be allocated up to two (2) guest permits at any given time on a first come, first serve basis. Because there are only approximately one hundred and fifty (150) on-street parking spaces, of which 136 may be taken by resident permit holders, guest passes would be limited. Guest permit fees would be as low as possible while still of sufficient value to encourage responsible use of the permits, ensuring that guest permits are available for those who need them (estimated $10 per daily guest permit, with a potential for multi-day guest permits at a reduced cost per day).
However, given that the Rosemont program will be a pilot during which the City will be exploring different enforcement approaches and may experience some implementation issues, it is recommended that the first year program be operated at no expense to residents (with the exception of minor online processing fees for permit decals or license plate registration). This will allow the City to utilize this year as a true beta testing period. This approach will provide the City greater flexibility to explore implementation methods with no financial impact to residents. Should the pilot program be successful and authorized to proceed beyond the one year pilot period, the permit fee formula outlined above would apply.
While adding part-time staff would be an effective model to enforce a permit parking program solely in the Rosemont neighborhood, additional resources would be needed if permit programs were approved in other areas of the City in the future. At that juncture, it is recommended that the City contract out all parking enforcement and administration functions to achieve flexibility in the level and hours of enforcement, cost-savings for administration and enforcement, overall efficiency and modernization, as well as reduced risk and liability to the City. The City would continue to oversee the contracted parking function to ensure quality customer service.
Council Direction on Framework for Potential Future City Permit Parking Program
Public streets are dedicated by developers or constructed by the City, and are exclusively maintained by the City or its contractors through public funding. These streets are intended to be used by all members of the public for multi-modal vehicular travel and automobile parking. The City also requires that sufficient off-street parking be provided for new development.
Some neighborhoods within the City do experience particular parking impacts due to their proximity to major generators of parking demand such as universities or colleges. In these areas, residential parking may be used by students parking offsite and sharing rides to campus to avoid high on-campus parking fees. There can also be heavy student resident populations in areas envisioned for less intense residential use. This can lead to an unusually high level of overflow residential parking from these areas to neighborhoods that are located beyond typical walking distance or across major thoroughfares.
Primarily for these reasons, it is suggested that any future permit parking program would be applied conservatively and only to areas experiencing such unique impacts on an ongoing basis. It is further suggested that a policy for instituting parking permit programs would be established including the following non-exclusive criteria:
• Location: Any proposed permit parking area would be located within a pre-determined Permit Parking District (District). The District boundaries will be based on proximity to universities and colleges, or other major non-residential generators with a distinct impact to residential or business parking.
• Establishment:
o Establishment of a parking permit program could be initiated by the City Manager or requested by a percentage of neighboring homeowners or business owners. If the City initiates an effort to establish a permit parking area, the effort would not be pursued if more than 20% of the residents or business owners within that neighborhood object following public notice. A failure to respond within the specified timeframe would not be considered an objection.
o The following suggested criteria would apply to community or resident-initiated requests to establish a parking permit area:
§ All homeowners associations (HOAs) or management agencies applicable to the respective neighborhood must have fully enforced all requirements associated with and/or required by City-approved parking management plans, or other development permit conditions associated with parking, for a period of at least two (2) years. The appropriate entity would be required to continue to enforce all requirements associated with City-approved parking management plans or other development permit conditions subsequent to implementation of any parking permit program. Such entities would be required to provide documentation of HOA enforcement to the City.
§ For areas not represented by an HOA or management agency, a petition with verifiable signatures from at least 70% of the area homeowners and residents would be required to be provided to the City.
o The area would remain subject to parking permit programs until deemed no longer applicable by the City based on: a change in circumstances alleviating the issue; implementation of a more cost-effective alternative solution applicable to all program areas within the City; or lack of City resources or ability for the neighborhood to offset costs. A parking permit program may also be eliminated if the community or HOA submits to the City a verified petition of homeowners, per the guidelines above, requesting to remove the restrictions. The same threshold of a minimum of 70% of homeowners must be in support of the proposed removal of such restrictions for the City to approve the removal.
• Costs and Fees: Homeowners living within a permit parking area would pay for all direct costs of the program in the respective neighborhood. The program involves limiting the use of a publicly purchased and maintained asset (public streets and right of way). The users benefitting from the program, and from enhanced use of the asset, would at minimum offset the cost of City administration and enforcement. Additional costs may be included in line with reasonable permit program fees based on data from comparable locations, parking permit area size and economies of scale, vendor established pricing and other factors. Fees may vary by neighborhood.
Costs would be determined without consideration of potential revenue from violations, as the program goal is to minimize violations through effective enforcement. Revenues from fees would be returned to the City Operational Budget to provide public services and maintain public facilities. Parking permits or license plate registration will require annual renewal. It may be that Guest passes may be purchased more frequently, depending on availability. Guest pass programs may vary by neighborhood dependent upon on-street parking demand and availability. Short- and long-term options may apply.
• Enforcement: Enforcement would be conducted based on reasonable enforcement levels to achieve overall program effectiveness. Enforcement would not be guaranteed to be 24/7 and may vary by area.
Decision-making Process
If deemed appropriate by the City Council, City staff would propose an update to the San Marcos Municipal Code (SMMC) for City Council consideration to provide for the following process:
• Applications for establishment of a parking permit area would be submitted by residents of the proposed parking area or the authorized representative agency (i.e., HOA or management agency). Compliance with the criteria outlined above, as may be supplemented by the City Council, would be required.
• Applications which meet these criteria may be brought to the Traffic Commission for a recommendation to the City Manager.
• The City Manager would be authorized to make the final determination as to whether to implement, revise or deny the request. It is suggested that the City Manager could take various factors into consideration in this determination including, but not limited to, indirect program costs borne by the City and other more appropriate or equitable solutions.
• Appeals could be brought to the City Council through a formalized process.
Environmental Review
This is not a project within the meaning of Section 15378 of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines because there is no potential for it to result in a physical change in the environment, either directly or indirectly. In the event this Resolution is found to be subject to CEQA, it is exempt from CEQA pursuant to the exemption contained in CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility of a significant effect on the environment and CEQA Guidelines Section 15303 (New Construction or Small Structures), as the work consists of installing parking signs in existing residential right-of-way areas to establish a residential permit parking program. There is no potential for further impacts, as no on-street parking is being lost, merely regulated, and no other modifications to the street are proposed.
In addition, approval of the framework for any potential future City permit parking program is not a project because it does not propose any physical changes to any specific location within the city.
Fiscal Impact
The first-year fiscal impact to the City’s approved Operational Budget is estimated to be $23,660. This includes one-time program costs of approximately $2,400 for installation of signage, as well as $21,260 (plus cost escalation) primarily for one (1) additional part-time enforcement staff ($19,760) and for increased fuel costs related to extended enforcement hours ($1,500). The $21,260 cost for enforcement and fuel would be an annual recurring cost if the program is extended into future years. Costs for hardware and software are covered under an existing vendor contract for up to two years, but would be additional costs to consider if the program is extended into future years (estimated $1,000-$2,500 per year). Costs outlined above do not include the existing two (2) part-time enforcement officers and two (2) administrative staff approved under the current budget.
If the program is extended to future years beyond the pilot period, the costs above would be split between Rosemont residents and the City. It is assumed that enforcement staff would dedicate 50% of their time to enforcement in Rosemont and the remaining 50% patrolling other areas of the city. City staff would track program costs and return to the Council for a budget adjustment if City costs for the program were higher than anticipated due to lower than expected revenues (e.g., low resident participation) or higher expenses (e.g., increased enforcement, if needed).
Costs for permit website management, permit decals and/ or license plate registration will be covered through nominal fees charged directly to the residents by the contractor through an online portal that will be used to manage the program, similar to most other permit parking programs. If the hours of enforcement are expanded or if the program expands to other areas of the City, additional resources may be required.
Attachment(s)
A- Map of Rosemont Neighborhood
B- Resolution 2018-8554
Submitted by: Dahvia Lynch, Development Services Director
Approved by: Jack Griffin, City Manager