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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-244.docJUNE 23, 2009 09 -244 ORDINANCE FIRST READING (CARRIED LOST LAID OVER WITHDRAWN ) PURPOSE: REVISION OF PARKING PERMIT PROGRAMS AND REMOVAL OF PARKING METERS FROM WEST 8TH AVENUE AND RIVERSIDE PARK MUNICIPAL PARKING LOTS INITIATED BY: TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT (APPROVED BY PARKING UTILITY COMMISSION, 3 -0) A GENERAL ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OSHKOSH AMENDING SECTIONS 27 -46, 27 -48(H) AND 27 -50 OF THE OSHKOSH MUNICIPAL CODE PERTAINING TO PARKING PERMITS, TEN HOUR CITY OWNED PARKING LOTS AND WEST 8TH AVENUE PARKING LOT. The Common Council of the City of Oshkosh do ordain as follows: SECTION 1. That Section 27 -46 of the Oshkosh Municipal Code pertaining to monthly parking stickers is hereby repealed and recreated as follows. SECTION 27 -46 PARKING PERMITS (A) Authority The City Administration is authorized to issue parking permits in conformity with this Section. When properly displayed in or on vehicles, permits issued under this Section shall exempt such vehicles from the rate of parking. Vehicles displaying such permits shall comply with all other rules and regulations governing parking within the City. (B) Types of permits (1) An annual permit may be used in any stall allowing permit parking during the 12 -month time period and in the municipal parking areas indicated on the permit. (2) A monthly permit may be used in any stall allowing permit parking during the month and in the municipal parking areas indicated on the permit. (3) A daily permit may be used in any stall allowing permit parking during the date and in the municipal parking areas indicated on the permit. JUNE 23, 2009 09 -244 ORDINANCE FIRST READING CONT'D (C) Permit prices The Common Council shall establish permit prices annually by March 1. These prices shall be valid until the last day of February of the following year. (D) Designation of spaces The Common Council shall designate which spaces in public parking areas require parking permits, upon recommendations received from the Parking Utility Commission. (E) Proper parking and display The owner or operator shall park within the area designated by street marking lines. Immediately upon parking the vehicle, the parking permit shall be displayed on the inside of the vehicle in accordance with the rules printed on the permit. Failure to properly display a permit will be subject to penalties under Sections 27 -52 and 27 -53 of the City of Oshkosh Municipal Code. (F) Permit validity Parking permits shall be valid only for the date(s) indicated on the permit. Attempts to fabricate permits or re -use an expired permit will be subject to penalties under Sections 27 -52 and 27 -53 of the City of Oshkosh Municipal Code. (G) Revenues All revenues collected from permit sales and permit - related violations shall be deposited to the Parking Utility Commission. SECTION 2. That Section 27 -48(H) of the Oshkosh Municipal Code pertaining to ten hour city owned parking lots (Riverside Lot) is hereby repealed. SECTION 3. That Section 27 -50 of the Oshkosh Municipal Code pertaining to West 8th Avenue Parking Lot is hereby amended as follows. Delete Therefrom (A) The four (4) meters along the most westerly row shall be 2 -hour parking meters at $.25 per hour. Add Thereto (A) The four (4) parking stalls in the most westerly row from the third most northerly stall to the sixth most northerly stall shall be for permit parking only, as defined in Section 27 -46. SECTION 4. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage, publication, and placement of the appropriate signage. JUNE 23, 2009 09 -244 ORDINANCE FIRST READING CONT'D SECTION 5. Publication Notice. Please take notice that the City of Oshkosh enacted ordinance #09 -XXX (A GENERAL ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTIONS 27 -46, 27 -48(H) AND 27 -50 OF CODE PERTAINING TO PARKING PERMITS, TEN HC LOTS AND WEST 8TH AVENUE PARKING LOT on JL changes the city's parking permit program, and remo Riverside and West 8th Avenue parking lots. OF THE CITY OF OSHKOSH THE OSHKOSH MUNICIPAL UR CITY OWNED PARKING ly 14, 2009. The ordinance , es parking meters from the The full text of the ordinance may be obtained at the Office of the City Clerk, 215 Church Avenue and through the City's website at www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us Clerk's phone 920/236-5011. 0 O.fHKO1H ON THE WATER MEMORANDUM TO: Mark A. Rohloff, City Manager FROM: Christopher Strong, Transportation Director DATE: June 17, 2009 RE: Explanation of Parking Permit Programs and Removal of Parking Meter Ordinance Changes SECTION 27 -46 — PARKING PERMITS CREATION OF ANNUAL, MONTHLY AND DAILY PERMIT PROGRAMS Commission members have expressed concern over how certain parking situations would be managed in the absence of meters. We recommend that annual, monthly and daily permit programs be created in order to accommodate these needs. This requires an overhaul of Section 27 -46 of the municipal code; an attachment indicates what the revised code will include. The following explains the structuring of this proposal. Current Section 27 -46 currently allows for monthly parking stickers to exist. The presence of a sticker exempts a vehicle from paying a parking meter; hence, these can be used in blue -band meter parking spaces. The section restricts the usage of the stickers from the hotel ramp as well as leased spaces (currently described in Sections 27 -49 and 27 -50). It also includes the price schedule for these stickers. Proposed This section incorporates the existing Section 27 -46, and adds to it provisions that will support the eventual elimination of Section 27 -48, which describes the location of 10 -hour parking meters. Section 27 -46(A) now creates monthly permits. The language can include stickers, but is left vague to include other formats the City may choose to issue, such as hangtags, or permits displayed on dashboards or clipped to visors. It removes the exemption from the hotel ramp, since that is now private property. Section 27 -46(B) creates annual, monthly and daily permits. In all cases, the permit could be shared across vehicles. However, the permit will be dated to prevent it being used beyond the allowed time period. Section 27 -46(C) allows for prices to be set outside of an ordinance change. If this passes, the current prices would be in effect until the Common Council adopts a resolution otherwise. (I recommend establishing a daily parking permit rate of $1.25. This would be equivalent to five hours of metered parking at $0.25 per hour.) Section 27 -46(D) recognizes that the Common Council has final authority on the designation of spaces, since this would always involve an ordinance change. However, the Parking Utility Commission will continue to make recommendations to the Common Council. Page 2 of 3 6 -17 -09 Section 27 -46(E) and 27 -46(F) relate to proper use of the permits, and provide language to support enforcement. Section 27 -46(G) designates that the revenues go to the Parking Utility. For lots with spaces designated by permit, the goal is to have an appendix with maps of each parking lot. These maps would provide numbering for each spaces, and then would designate the regulations for the parking lot by saying which spaces are governed by which parking rules. (This numbering would not appear in the parking lots themselves, in order to minimize signage and pavement marking requirements. The only purpose of this numbering is to add clarity to how these lots are presented in the municipal code.) These systems should help to simplify parking rules and regulations, and I believe they are necessary to support the goal of removing parking meters. PASSED BY PARKING UTILITY COMMISSION (3 -0). SECTION 27 -48(H) — TEN HOUR CITY OWNED PARKING LOTS (RIVERSIDE LOT) REMOVAL OF PARKING METERS FROM RIVERSIDE LOT This item is following up on the Commission's resolution at its April 8 meeting supporting the removal of parking meters. Currently, this lot has one hundred and twenty -five (12 5) 10 -hour parking meters. Lot utilization is primarily tied to the Convention Center, the Leach Amphitheater and outdoor recreation. According to the 2008 parking utilization study, the utilization rate for these spaces is around 5 percent. This low rate is not surprising, given that the data were collected on weekdays when there were no events at the Convention Center or at the Leach Amphitheater. Revenues from the Riverside Lot over a five -year period (2004 -08) totaled $2,071.83. This represents $3.31 in revenue per space per year. This revenue does not go to the Parking Utility, but rather to the Convention Center. I propose that these meters be removed and converted to unrestricted (no time limit, no parking fee) parking. This is how 85 spaces in the lot are currently designated. It would seem that unrestricted parking would make sense with the needs of the primary users of this parking lot. It may be that parking conflicts will emerge in the future as parking demand increases. If so, it may be worthwhile to look at some permit system for event attendees. In the mean time, the meters likely do little to encourage usage of these riverside facilities, and the revenue they generate is far less than the cost of their operation and maintenance. If this request is approved, Section 27 -48(H) ( "Ten Hour Metered City Owned Parking Lot "), which refers to the Riverside Lot, will be repealed. PASSED BY PARKING UTILITY COMMISSION (3 -0). Page 3 of 3 6 -17 -09 SECTION 27 -50 — WEST 8 AVENUE PARKING LOT REMOVAL OF PARKING METERS FROM WEST 8 TH AVENUE PARKING LOT This item is following up on the Commission's resolution at its April 8 meeting supporting the removal of parking meters. Currently, this lot has four (4) 2 -hour meters, which receive an average of $17.80 in revenue per space per year. According to the 2008 parking utilization study, the utilization rate for these spaces is less than 5 percent. As was proposed for the West 9 Avenue Parking Lot, I propose that these spaces be converted to 90- minute unmetered parking. This would be consistent with the 90- minute parking designation that is normally used for short-term parking in the City's other municipal parking lots. Currently, there is 2 -hour free on- street parking on the east side of Oregon Street in this area. The duration of this parking will not change. Current utilization levels suggest that the switch from meters to free parking should have little effect on people using this parking lot for short-term parking. If this request is approved, Section 27 -50 ( "West 8 Avenue Parking Lot ") in the municipal code would need to be amended. Section 27 -50(A) refers to these metered spaces. One possibility is to add language into Section 27 -13(A) of the municipal code which designates these spaces as. 90- minute free parking. I will work with the City Attorney to draft appropriate language for consideration by the Common Council. PASSED BY PARKING UTILITY COMMISSION (3 -0).