Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br /> <br /> Special Events Parking Policy <br /> September 3, 2013 <br /> Page 2 <br /> <br /> For years the City has issued Special Event Permits for annual events such as Fiestas Patrias, <br /> Cinco de Mayo, Dia de los Muertos, O.C. Pride, Aces Car Show and Patchwork Fairs, to name a <br /> few. These special events usually occur on weekends, either a Saturday only event or one that <br /> runs for both Saturday and Sunday. The typical City process for any large scale event in the <br /> Downtown that requires the closure of one or more public street is for the promoter to submit a <br /> Special Event Permit application to the Police Department for review and approval. When a <br /> Special Event Permit is issued by the Police Department, the City notifies the Operator who then <br /> posts signs one week in advance to notify patrons of the upcoming special event and the fact that <br /> the parking facilities will operate under the pre-pay parking rate on that weekend. This process is <br /> designed to give the daily users ample time to make other parking accommodations. In addition, <br /> individuals with a current monthly parking pass are not charged to enter the facilities during a <br /> special event. <br /> <br /> The purpose of charging the pre-pay flat rate is for operational logistics; that is, to allow for safe <br /> and efficient entry and exit from the parking garages and to prevent long queuing that could <br /> significantly impact the traffic flow on public streets. The revenue collected from the special <br /> event is to offset the operational costs of the Operator in providing additional security guards <br /> services and staffing for additional maintenance and cleanliness of the garages after the event. <br /> The additional staffing and security measures ensure that during the special event the parking <br /> facilities operate in a safe manner. Further, this approach has the least negative impact to the <br /> City and surrounding businesses or residents and allows for a quick return to normal operations <br /> for the daily users of the garages. <br /> <br /> Although the City has operated the downtown parking facilities for decades, a recent review of <br /> City documents determined that the parking rate policy had not been the subject of a formal <br /> action by the City Council. The Municipal Code, Chapter 36, Article IX Section 36-431, states: <br /> <br /> "The council may, by resolution, declare the necessity for the use of parking meters <br /> on any municipally owned or operated parking lot, may fix and determine traffic <br /> patterns for the movement of traffic on such municipally owned or operated parking <br /> lot and governing the ingress and egress thereto and therefrom, and when the <br /> council regularly passes and adopts any resolution for any of said purposes the <br /> same shall control the use of the area affected thereby, and said regulations may be <br /> applied to lots open to public use or to lots restricted to certain classes of vehicles <br /> and to certain hours and days." <br /> <br /> The Municipal Code clearly provides the Council with the authority to establish a rate policy for <br /> the City parking facilities through the adoption of a resolution. Given the absence of official <br /> documents, it is recommended that the Council adopt the proposed resolution confirming the <br /> current parking rate policy. The proposed Parking Rate Policy contains the following provisions: <br /> <br /> • The rate charged for each facility during regular hours is $1 per hour or any <br /> fraction thereof with the first 30 minutes at $0.50 and a $7 maximum daily. A flat <br /> pre-pay evening rate of $2 to $20 may be charged. The current evening flat rate <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> 55C-2 <br />