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HomeMy WebLinkAbout38. 13-45 JANUARY 22, 2013 13-45 ORDINANCE FIRST READING (CARRIED LOST LAID OVER WITHDRAWN ) PURPOSE: TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF BICYCLE REGISTRATION FEE INITIATED BY: POLICE DEPARTMENT (BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS APPROVAL) A GENERAL ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF OSHKOSH PERTAINING TO BICYCLE REGISTRATION FEES. The Common Council of the City of Oshkosh do ordain as follows: SECTION 1. That the fees related to bicycle registration and license and replacement of bicycle registration stickers, as provided in Sections 27-59 and 27-60 are waived for bicycle registrations submitted to City officials between the dates of April 1, 2013 and May 16, 2013. SECTION 2. Publication Notice. Please take notice that the City of Oshkosh enacted ordinance #13-XXX (TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF BICYCLE REGISTRATION FEE) on February 12, 2013. 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. OfHKOJH City of Oshkosh - Transportation Department ON THE WATER 926 Dempsey Trail, Oshkosh, WI 54902 (920) 232-5342 (920) 232-5343 fax MEMORANDUM TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Common Council FROM: Christopher Strong, P.E., Director of Transportation Scott D. Greuel, Chief of Police DATE: January 11, 2013 RE: TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF BICYCLE REGISTRATION FEE Background Sections 27-57 through 27-62 of the Oshkosh Municipal Code provide for a bicycle registration program, which includes a registration fee. This program has at least three primary objectives: reducing bicycle theft, increasing the recovery rate of lost or stolen bicycles, and providing funding for the City's Bicycle Fund. The bicycle registration program is not working as effectively as it could be. Over the last three years, the Oshkosh Police Department has recovered 809 bicycles. Only 47 of the 809 bicycles have been returned to the rightful owner, for a 6 percent return rate. At one point last year, there were 67 bicycles in the Oshkosh Police Department inventory, of which none had registration stickers for Oshkosh. In addition, one half of a 40 ft x 50 ft storage facility was used for these found or unclaimed bicycles. The lack of registration activity also results in relatively low income to the Bicycle Fund. Annual deposits into the fund from fee income averaged less than $600 per year from 2004 through 2011. This proposal would create a registration fee "holiday" in the spring of 2013, leading up to activities which promote bicycling, including an annual bicycle roadeo, and National Bike to School Day. During this holiday, the normal $3 registration fee would be waived. Police Department staff would work concurrently and proactively with schools and other stakeholders to significantly increase the number of bicycles which are registered. As another way of promoting bicycle registration during this time, a combined $1,500 in funding from the Bicycle Fund and Safe Routes to School grant would be used to provide 300 free bicycle locks on a first come, first serve basis. Like the fee holiday, broader distribution of bicycle locks should help deter bicycle theft; however, this separate effort does not involve an ordinance change or resolution, and requires no Council action. If this is successful, a similar holiday could be considered in the future. However, as written, this City of Oshkosh—Department of Transportation 1 Temporary Suspension of Bicycle Registration Fee/January 11, 2013 would occur only during 2013. Analysis Average annual revenues into the Bicycle Fund from 2004-2011 were $592, which indicates that fewer than 200 bicycles per year (on average) are registered in the City. The fee holiday and accompanying public education campaign should help to significantly increase the number of bicycles which are registered. In addition, the public education campaign can provide a climate in which broader enforcement of the existing ordinances can be more successful. The vast majority of stolen bicycles that are taken in by the Oshkosh Police Department were not secured by a lock prior to the theft and these bicycles did not have a registration completed. With bicycles being locked and registered, this would drastically reduce the number of stolen or abandoned bicycles being reported and would eliminate the investigation that comes with the stolen bicycles. Fiscal Impact From a law enforcement perspective, increases in bicycle registration would have benefits in personnel savings and inventory requirements. On average, a Community Service Officer spends about three hours conducting an investigation and processing each bicycle complaint. This includes contacting the victim or reporting person, completing the report, transporting the bicycle, entering the bike into inventory, following up on the investigation and finally the disposition of the bicycle. If a bicycle were registered in the City of Oshkosh and happened to be stolen and recovered, the time spent investigating the stolen or abandoned bicycle would be cut by two-thirds. With the bike being registered, the Community Service Officer would look up the bike registration number and contact the owner to recover the bicycle. Previous experience suggests that most of the bicycles that would be registered during the holiday would not have otherwise been registered; therefore, it is unlikely that the Bicycle Fund will see a meaningful loss in revenue. Recommendation We recommend the Common Council approve this ordinance change for a bicycle fee registration holiday. Respectfully submitted, Approved: //;14':*-1A1- 7 f / Christopher Strong, P.E. Scott D. Greuel Mark A. Rohloff Director of Transportation Chief of Police City Manager City of Oshkosh—Department of Transportation 2