Council holds off raising fees for parking

Barbara Diamond

Once burned, twice cautious.

The City Council declined at the March 2 meeting to act on

recommended changes in the city’s parking policies until the Chamber

of Commerce weighed in on proposed fee increases in lots with

dispensers.

“I will only agree if the chamber agrees,” Mayor Cheryl Kinsman

said.

The council did not want a repeat of the debacle last year when it

raised meter rates to $1.50 an hour and then acceded to irate chamber

demands to restore the original $1 per hour fee. This time, the

council wanted the chamber to comment before it takes action.

Residents’ opinions were not specifically solicited although they

will be affected by some of the proposed changes.

Chamber representative Dennis Meyers promised specific comments at

the April 6 council meeting.

“We are not opposed, but we think the timing is off,” Meyers said.

Residents who have parking stickers won’t be affected by the

increase in parking lot meter fees, but the proposal also includes an

increase in fees for shopper permits and a possible limit of two

permits per household to stop permit-bootlegging.

“Going from two permits to four permits per family has resulted in

resales of permits to people who don’t live here,” City Manager Ken

Frank said. “We hope to get the technology that would prove vehicle

ownership. If that doesn’t work, we will recommend eliminating the

third and fourth permits.”

Shopper permits now cost $30 a year, restricted to residents.

Frank is recommending an increase to $40 a year, effective Aug. 1.

Do the math. Even with the increase, anyone who parks at a meter

for more than 40 hours a year -- less than one hour a week -- is

ahead of the game.

Other recommendations include an increase in nonresident parking

permits from $45 to $60 a year and an increase in business parking

permits from $180 to $245, both effective Aug. 1.

Frank’s recommendation to start enforcement of meters at 7 a.m.

appeared doomed.

“Seven a.m. is draconian,” Roger von Butow said. “I don’t know who

thought this up, but he doesn’t understand how the Downtown is used.”

Councilman Wayne Baglin concurred.

“We have commuters stopping for coffee,” Baglin said. “I don’t

want them being ticketed. I think we should stay at 8 a.m.”

At one time, enforcement didn’t begin until 10 a.m., a product of

a chamber program called “Our Town Till Ten.”

All four council members at the meeting -- Councilman Steven

Dicterow was absent -- opposed Frank’s recommendation to relocate

some city employee parking to free up space in the Lumberyard Parking

Lot, which is completely booked.

“The post office parking area has also been reduced,” resident

Bruce Hopping said. “I always thought that was public parking, but

it’s not. It’s a shame the spaces have been taken away.”

Frank also recommended replacing individual meters in the

Glenneyre Street parking structure with ticket machines, to be

included in the 2004-05 budget.

Alternative methods of payment were discussed.

“If the chamber agrees, I would like to see all meters [converted]

to credit cards or solar,” Kinsman said. “I also would like to look

at variable parking rates, with beach meters higher in the summer.”

Credit cards are not feasible, but a kind of debit card, called a

smart card, is.

“Debit cards are probably the next step,” Frank said. “Monterey is

using them. I think Berkeley is. We’d need a place to sell them.”

The cards are more like calling cards than bank debit cards,

purchased for a set amount, with fees subtracted.

Some of the proposed changes in parking meter, parking lot and

parking permit policies, which will be discussed next at the April 6

council meeting, will require changes in the city code.