Public parking rates in Newport could go up

Newport Beach could raise the cost of parking at meters and at beach parking lots to help plug an $8-million budget shortfall projected for the fiscal year starting July 1.

The City Council could take up raising parking fees by the end of this month, City Manager Dave Kiff said.

City officials estimate that the parking rate increases could generate an additional $1.6 million next fiscal year.

The city could raise parking rates at city meters from $1 an hour to $1.75 an hour. Neighboring Laguna Beach charges $1.50 an hour for metered parking, while Huntington Beach charges $2 an hour.

“We decided to split the difference between Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach,” Kiff said.

Newport will also consider raising the cost of parking at Corona del Mar State Beach from $8 a day to $15 a day during peak periods and weekends, bringing it in line with nearby Crystal Cove, a state park.

Parking rates at the city lot at the base of the Balboa Pier, where it also costs $8 a day to park, would see a similar increase.

“I still think it’s a bargain,” said Councilwoman Nancy Gardner, whose district includes Corona del Mar. “If you go to Universal Studios, it costs $20 to park, and that’s only the beginning. Families can still go to the beach and park for $15, and they’ve got the whole day at the beach. It’s certainly not unreasonable.”

The city is facing an $8-million budget gap next year because of slumping sales, property and hotel tax revenues.

Kiff has come up with a five-point plan to address the city’s budget gap that includes looking at creating new sources of revenue for the city, slashing operating costs, outsourcing some city services, suspending some city-sponsored special events and reorganizing the city’s staffing structure.