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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES OSHKOSH PARKING UTILITY COMMISSION MINUTES JANUARY 13, 2010 PRESENT: Harold Buchholz, Mary Murken, Jay Ratchman and Jim Stapel ABSENT: Nicholas Janis STAFF: Christopher Strong, Transportation Director Jennifer Weigand, Recording Secretary CALL TO ORDER Chairman Stapel called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Ms. Murken moved to accept the October 14, 2009 minutes. Mr. Ratchman seconded the motion. Motion carried (4-0). FINANCIAL REPORTS Ms. Murken moved to receive the financial report. Mr. Ratchman seconded the motion. Motion carried (4-0). NEW BUSINESS 1. REQUEST TO RE-DESIGNATE SIXTEEEN (16) PERMIT PARKING SPACES IN THE STATE STREET LOT AS 90-MINUTE FREE PARKING. Mr. Strong said this request was from a couple of businesses in the area. He noted this lot is fairly underutilized. Mr. Kevin Miller, 2775 Westmoor Rd., told the Board there are many students who are coming and going from 115 Washington Avenue (Wisconsin Learning Center for Disabilities), during the evening hours. He asked if it was possible to designate space #51 as a handicapped space. Mr. Strong said he would check into the accessibility of this space and report back to the Commission. Mr. Strong noted that these would be the first free, 90-minute spaces in this lot, and added that he didn’t know why previously there wasn’t any short-term parking in this lot. Mr. Buchholz asked if this was part of a consistent strategy on our part. He questioned if we would be setting a precedent that wouldn’t be consistent with our other lots. Ms. Murken moved to accept this request. Mr. Ratchman seconded the motion. Motion carried (4-0). PARKING UTILITY MINUTES Page 2 JANUARY 13, 2010 2. REQUEST TO RE-LOCATE SIX (6) PERMIT PARKING SPACES IN THE 400 BLOCK WEST LOT. Mr. Strong explained the reasoning behind this request. Mr. Stapel saw no problem with the relocation of these spaces. Mr. Ratchman asked when this would take effect. Mr. Strong replied the final reading before the Common Council would be February 9, 2010 and it would take effect shortly thereafter. Mr. Ratchman moved to accept this request. Ms. Murken seconded the motion. Motion carried (4-0). 3. REQUEST TO DESIGNATE FIVE (5) PERMIT PARKING SPACES IN THE WASHINGTON AVENUE LOT. Mr. Strong said the owner of 404 N. Main Street has expressed concern about the lack of permit parking. Mr. Buchholz asked Mr. Strong to explain the agreement with the property owners of 404 N. Main Street and the Exclusive Company. Mr. Strong gave a brief synopsis of the situation. Ms. Murken suggested looking into adding additional permit parking after the completion of the reconstruction of Main Street. Mr. Ratchman was concerned about the possibility of construction workers buying permits and utilizing these spaces. He noted the businesses rely on these parking spaces. Ms. Murken moved to accept this request. Mr. Ratchman seconded the motion. Motion carried (4-0). Item #4 was laid over. 5. USE OF RIVERSIDE PARKING LOT FOR WATERFEST. Mr. Strong said the purpose of this item is to have the Commission on record that they support this. Mr. Buchholz brought up the issue of wear and tear on the parking lot. He questioned how the Parking Utility would recoup the costs associated with wear and tear caused to this lot by this event. Mr. Strong felt it would be hard to quantify the use of the lot by Waterfest. Mr. Stapel doesn’t want to set a precedent that we say yes to everything that comes along. He understands that we need to act on this now so Waterfest can plan for this year. However, we eventually need to set a standard to follow. Mr. John Casper, Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, said it is only three or four times that parking overflows into this lot. He asked how one could assess the costs of parking lot usage, since parking lots are built to handle the parking of cars? He said he thought there is more wear and tear on the other free parking lots. He questioned if this was being done because Waterfest charges a fee. PARKING UTILITY MINUTES Page 3 JANUARY 13, 2010 Mr. Buchholz noted we have to have funding to repair these parking lots. He is not saying we should charge something but we need funding. Mr. Ratchman said this discussion started a few years back because we didn’t get any revenue from this lot. We need to be fair about this and look at the whole situation. Mr. Stapel said he didn’t want to set a precedent but would support this resolution this year. Mr. Ratchman moved to support this resolution. Ms. Murken seconded the motion. Motion carried (4-0). 6. DISCUSSION OF CONCEPT FOR MUNICIPAL PARKING LOT AT 500 BLOCK OF NORTH MAIN STREET. Mr. Buchholz questioned why the City would want to pick up this lot. Mr. Stapel said it would make sense for the City to buy it if the City was going to pick up some major improvements in buildings and if the lot was very inexpensive. Ms. Maureen Lasky, 120 Jackson Street, had talked to some of the property owners in the 500 block of N. Main Street, and they were supportive of this. Mr. Casper said the Roxy owners might expand their business, into where their parking garage is presently located, if this project happened. This lot would give customers a place to park close to the businesses. Ms. Lasky said this is an agenda item for the next BID meeting. She is hoping to get the BID’s support for the project, and then to give it to the City Manager. Mr. Stapel said it would be foolish not to explore this at this time. The Board members were in agreement to explore this concept. Mr. Ratchman felt this could be a good place for construction workers to park during the Main Street reconstruction. 7. PROPOSED REVISIONS OF MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 2-50. Mr. Strong said the changes are pretty significant. Revision would align the code with the Commission’s current activities and scope of responsibility. Mr. Buchholz asked if there is enough discussion of direction between the Common Council and the Commission. Mr. Stapel said it helps having a Councilmember on the Commission. Mr. Buchholz would like to propose that one member appear before the Common Council on a quarterly basis and go over the goals and objections of the Commission with the Council. Mr. Stapel didn’t know if the Council would want to sit through this quarterly but maybe only as needed. Mr. Stapel would like to postpone any action on these proposed revisions for a month. PARKING UTILITY MINUTES Page 4 JANUARY 13, 2010 STAFF STATEMENTS 8. ANALYSIS OF PARKING AVAILABILITY DURING MAIN STREET RECONSTRUCTION. Mr. Strong gave a brief explanation on the parking availability, which shows we should have enough short-term parking available during the reconstruction of Main Street. 9. 2010 Capital Improvement Program. Mr. Strong noted the Common Council approved $40,000 in funding for assessing the condition and maintenance needs of municipal parking lots. Mr. Buchholz sees a lot of studies done and then they sit on a shelf. He hopes we utilize the $40,000 very well and get the funds to make the improvements. He is very concerned about spending money. Now that the 400 Block Parking Lot project is completed, Mr. Buchholz asked if a summary could be written on its success. Mr. Stapel thought this was a good idea and felt good press couldn’t hurt either. AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MEETING None. ADJOURNMENT There being no other business to come before the Parking Utility Commission, and upon being duly moved and seconded (Buchholz, Murken), the meeting adjourned at 5:17 p.m.