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Home My WebLink About237-09 RESOLUTIONIf RESOLUTION NO. 237-09 A RESOLUTION TO EXPRESS THE CITY COUNCIL'S SUPPORT FOR THE CITY PARKING DIVISION TO SEEK LEASES AND AGREEMENTS TO MANAGE PRIVATE PARKING LOTS WHEREAS, the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas desires to encourage a consistent method of parking enforcement for parking in the downtown and Dickson Street areas; and WHEREAS, the City recognizes that there is an existing problem with vehicles getting towed from downtown private lots causing a negative reputation for the City of Fayetteville; and WHEREAS, citizens, customers, local merchants, and patrons of the Walton Arts Center have complained about downtown private parking lot towing practices; and WHEREAS, centralizing of parking service information will be beneficial to visitors of our downtown areas; and WHEREAS, additional revenues generated from city managed paid parking lots could be escrowed to fund a future parking deck; and WHEREAS, if the City Parking Division can lease and manage numerous private parking lots, it can more efficiently clean and maintain all the parking lots it manages. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS: Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby expresses its support for the City Parking Division to seek leases of private parking lots and agreements to manage those private parking lots in the downtown and Dickson Street areas. Section 2: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby agrees to adopt parking lot rate ordinances for private parking lots in an attempt to authorize the use of criminal citations (parking tickets) for cars over -parked on a private parking lot leased and managed by the City. ",mmmp PASSED and APPROVED this 151 day of December, 2009. ,,.•``CRWTR G e4SG• a .. \SY•Oc P If ,�zec• ��? =U• ATTEST: E :FAYETTEVILLE: - t. :N.? • 5 �a y :) ANSP0\AI ON y: Sdt,#. Ce + J2 1.) SO RA E. SMITH, City Clerk/Treasurer APPROVED: By: I t NELD JOJ AN, Mayor Sharon Crosson Submitted By City of Fayetteville Staff Review Form City Council Agenda Items and Contracts, Leases or Agreements 12/1/2009 City Council Meeting Date Agenda Items Only Parking Management Division Action Required: 0 Transportation Services Department Approval of a resolution to express the City Council's support for the City Parking Division to seek leases and agreements to manage private parking lots. Cost of this request Account Number Project Number Budgeted Item $ Category / Project Budget Program Category / Project Name Funds Used to Date Program / Project Category Name Remaining Balance Fund Name Budget Adjustment Attached City Attorney Finance and Internal Services Director / 3199 Previous Ordinance or Resolution # Date Original Contract Date: //-13 -0 c{ Original Contract Number: Date II-I3-2cR Date Hi& -f Date • aydr Received in Mayor's Office Comments: Revised January 15, 2009 aye tegle AGENDA REQUEST MEMO TO: Mayor Lioneld Jordan THROUGH: Don Marr, Chief of Staff Terry Gulley, Transportation Services Director FROM: Sharon Crosson, Parking and Telecom Manager DATE: November 12, 2009 Resolution for Mayor to Offer Parking Services December 1. 2009 Council Meeting SUBJECT: Request for Approval of a Resolution to Express the City Council's Support for the City Parking Division to Seek Leases and Agreements to Manage Private Parking Lots RECOMMENDATION This resolution would basically give the City Council support to the Mayor and staff to begin negotiating Lease Agreements with private parking lot owners in the downtown and Dickson Street area that charge a parking fee for public parking. All Lease Agreements would be brought individually before the City Council for final approval. BACKGROUND History of Private Property Owners Enforcing Paid Parking: In October of 2005 City staff brought forth an item for the Council to consider entering into a lease agreement with a private parking lot owner for the City to provide Parking Management and Enforcement services. The proposed lease brought forth was with Greg House and Steve Mansfield to provide parking services at the Fayetteville Depot, LLC Lot. Administrators of University Baptist Church and the University of Arkansas West Annex properties were also interested in such services and were awaiting the outcome of this lease to consider having the City manage their lots as well. Staff recommended approval of the lease and felt the City would benefit in many ways: • Continuity of enforcement practices for all downtown parking lots whether publicly or privately owned • Consistency in the rate structure • Centralization of customer service and citizen information • Illegal and overtime parking enforced by written citation rather than the towing and/or immobilization of vehicles • Additional revenues generated for the City of Fayetteville to apply toward the construction of a future parking deck 11 • A lease on the property allowing existing City staff to clean the property on a regular basis along with other public lots in the Dickson Street area After in depth deliberation by City Council, the proposed Lease on the Fayetteville Depot Lot failed. The single reason for the Council voting against it was a clause in the contract that stated that the City had to change Lot 55 to paid parking within 6 months. The City Council wanted this requirement stricken from the Lease and the property owners were not willing to remove it. Since then, there have been 6 privately owned parking lots/decks in the Dickson Street and Square areas that have installed pay machines and are now enforcing their own parking rules and rates. The only method of enforcement for private property owners is to have the vehicles towed or immobilized ("booted"). Therefore, all illegal and/or overtime parked vehicles in these lots results in the vehicle being towed away to another storage location. This not only causes major frustration and inconvenience for visitors of our Entertainment District, but many times causes a very unsafe situation for those trying to locate their vehicle late at night. Unfortunately, anytime a vehicle is towed in our Entertainment District, it makes our City look unfriendly and unwelcoming. It does not matter to the vehicle owner that it is a private lot, it still happened in the City of Fayetteville. DISCUSSION The private lots that have begun their own "paid parking" and private enforcement in this vicinity are: 1. Fayetteville Depot, LLC Lot Northwest corner of West Ave. and Dickson St. 2. University Baptist Church Lot Between Watson, Campbell and Lafayette 3. Unknown Owner (maybe Ryan Fowler — Monroe Locust, LLC ?) Behind old Bakery Building, just off Locust St. 4. University of Arkansas Annex West Lot Southeast comer of West Ave. and Lafayette 5. Underwood's Parking Deck 6. Mountain Street Parking Lot Where old Mountain Inn used to be located 1. and 2. The first two lots employ the following enforcement practices: • The property owner purchased the pay machines. • The pay machine monitors numbered spaces. • Towing company has a code they enter into the machine that tells them what spaces have been paid for and those that have expired. • There is no remote access but the pay machine will send an email in case of a machine malfunction or Jam. • Illegally parked and overtime parked vehicles are removed/towed. • Towing service is provided by Towing Plus. • Towing Plus gives a 30 to 40 minute grace period before towing overtime parkers. • If the vehicle owner comes out while the driver is hooking up, they will set the car down for 1/2 the fee. • Vehicles bluntly outside the lines of the numbered spaces are also in violation. • All vehicles in violation are then towed to the Towing Plus yard located on South School Avenue. • The cost to retrieve the vehicle ranges from $87.40 to $120.20, depending on the equipment needed to transport the vehicle. • UBC requested Towing Plus to charge a flat rate of $100.00 per vehicle towed from their property. • Storage fee is $35.00 per day, which is regulated by the Towing Board. • There is not profit sharing; the property owner keeps the parking revenues and the towing company keeps all the towing fees (it is illegal to share the towing costs with the property owner). 3. It is unknown at this time how the property owner of the third lot operates as we have been unsuccessful in contacting them. We do know that they use Ed's Towing Service and assume that their procedures are very similar. 4. and 5. Private owners contract with Parking Systems of America to provide parking enforcement services. Their method of enforcement is immobilization of vehicle until all fees are paid in full. The owners of these 2 properties have requested that the City begin providing enforcement services, as they are very unhappy with the services provided by their current contractor. Parking Rates Favetteville Depot, LLC Lot University Baptist Church Lot 2:OOam — 4:59pm 5:OOpm — 1:59am Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday $0.25/hr $0.50/hr Thursday/Friday $0.75/hr Thursday $2.00/hr $0.50/hr $2.00/hr Friday/Saturday $0.75/hr Sunday $2.00/hr Sunday $0.75/hr Rates are subject to change on holiday and during special events $0.75/hr Rates are subject to change on holiday and during special events University Baptist Church Lot Bakery Building Lot 2:OOam — 4:59pm 5:OOpm — 1:59am Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday $0.25/hr $0.75/hr Thursday/Friday $0.25/hr during special events $2.00/hr Saturday $1.00/hr 24 hours $2.00/hr Sunday UBC Parking Only $0.75/hr Rates are subject to change on holiday and during special events Bakery Building Lot Mountain Street Lot (old Mountain Inn 6:OOpm — 6:OOam 20 minute limit Flat rate every day $2.00 $2.00/hr 2 hours Rates are subject to change on holiday and during special events 8 hours Mountain Street Lot (old Mountain Inn Underwood's Parking Deck 24/7/365 20 minute limit 1 hour $2.00 $0.05 2 hours $4.00 $4.00 8 hours $5.00 20 minutes 24 hours $0.25 $10.00 $5.00 Underwood's Parking Deck U/A Parking Meters on Maple Street 24/7/365 20 minute limit 1 hour $2.00 $0.05 2 hours 8 minutes $4.00 $0.10 Over 2 hours 20 minutes $5.00 $0.25 Overnight $5.00 U/A Parking Meters on Maple Street U/A Parking Meters on Arkansas Avenue 24/7/365 20 minute limit 4 minutes $0.05 8 minutes $0.10 20 minutes $0.25 U/A Parking Meters on Arkansas Avenue City of Favetteville Parkin Meters 24/7/365 2 hour limit Flat rate per hour $1.30/hr City of Favetteville Parkin Meters 8:OOam — 6:OOpm Short-term meters (2 hour limit) $0.25/hr Long-term meters (10 hour limit) $0.15/hr 11 • RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION TO EXPRESS THE CITY COUNCIL'S SUPPORT FOR THE CITY PARKING DIVISION TO SEEK LEASES AND AGREEMENTS TO MANAGE PRIVATE PARKING LOTS WHEREAS, the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas desires to encourage a consistent method of parking enforcement for parking in the downtown and Dickson Street areas; and WHEREAS, the City recognizes that there is an existing problem with vehicles getting towed from downtown private lots causing a negative reputation for the City of Fayetteville; and WHEREAS, citizens, customers, local merchants, and patrons of the Walton Arts Center have complained about downtown private parking lot towing practices; and WHEREAS, centralizing of parking service information will be beneficial to visitors of our downtown areas, and WHEREAS, additional revenues generated from city managed paid parking lots could be escrowed to fund a future parking deck; and WHEREAS, if the City Parking Division can lease and manage numerous private parking lots, it can more efficiently clean and maintain all the parking lots it manages. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS: Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby expresses its support for the City Parking Division to seek leases of private parking lots and agreements to manage those private parking lots in the downtown and Dickson Street areas. Section 2: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby agrees to adopt parking lot rate ordinances for private parking lots in an attempt to authorize the use of criminal citations (parking tickets) for cars over -parked on a private parking lot leased and managed by the City. PASSED and APPROVED this 151 day of December, 2009. APPROVED: ATTEST - By: By: LIONELD JORDAN, Mayor SONDRA E. SMITH, City Clerk/Treasurer