Vancouver City Council

EXTRACT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON CITY SERVICES AND BUDGETS MEETING OF MAY 15, 2003

6. Parking Operations & Enforcement Branch - Service Level Updates and Parking Meter Rate Changes (File 5651)

As a delegation request had been received, Council at its meeting on May 13, 2003, referred consideration of this report to today's Standing Committee on City Services and Budgets meeting to hear speakers.

Accordingly, the Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated April 23, 2003, in which the General Manager of Engineering Services in consultation with the General Managers of Human Resource Services and Corporate Services reviewed the parking enforcement and parking meter operations and recommended staff changes to respond to increased demand as well as safety and security issues. The report also reviewed parking meter rates and recommended changes to better reflect localized market conditions in the Downtown.

Bob Macdonald, Parking Engineer, provided an overview of the report and, in response to a request in a letter from CUPE 15, responded to questions related to the impact of postponing decision on the staffing recommendations contained in the report. Ian Adam, Assistant City Engineer, Transportation, provided additional details on the requested postponement related to the revenue stream and evening coin collection. Staff also noted automated coin collection is under review, however the majority of costs relate to enforcement as opposed to coin collection.

The following delegations spoke in opposition to increasing parking meter rates to be more compatible with off-street parking rates:

Bob Curell, The Just Cruising Shop
Charles Gauthier, Executive Director, Downtown Vancouver BIA
Kathi Thompson, President, Downtown Vancouver BIA

Points raised included the following:

· traffic congestion and parking have been identified as the top two dislikes in downtown Vancouver;
· ways need to be found to encourage people to come downtown;
· suggest lower parking rates for weekends and statutory holidays;
· a more meaningful dialogue needs to take place between the City and the Business Improvement Associations on the downtown peninsula regarding this issue;
· if meters were in effect only to 6 p.m., money could be saved on the need for additional coin collections staff;
· an even rate for parking across the whole community is recommended;
· currently very little parking revenue money is redirected to parking alternatives or alternative modes of transportation;

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· customers are adverse to paying extra money for on-street parking; and
· the BIA could include questions in their regular survey of lower mainland residents related to parking factors that influence a driver's decision to come downtown.

A Council member suggested staff contact Todd Litman, Director, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, when working with the BIA's on parking issues raised this day.

MOVED by
THAT the Committee recommend to Council

A. THAT Council postpone consideration of the following to the May 29^th City Services and Budgets meeting:

THAT Council approve the expansion of the Parking Operations and Enforcement Branch to deal with the increased demand for parking enforcement and coin collection activity due to the expansion of regulated and metered areas, technology change, and additional service demands since 1999, at an approximate annual cost (including adequate coverage for a 363-day/year operation) of $366,000 in 2003 and $512,000 annually thereafter, funded from increased parking enforcement and parking meter revenues).

i.

2.0 FTE

2 Parking Enforcement Officers

ii.

2.0 FTE

2 Superintendent I

iii.

1.0 FTE

1 Systems Analyst IA

iv.

1.0 FTE

1 Network Support Specialist I

v.

4.0 FTE

8 Regular Part-Time Coin Collectors

FURTHER THAT Council approve $50,000 for non-salary recurring operating costs ($30,000 in 2003) to support the staff funded from increased parking enforcement and parking meter revenues.

B. THAT Council approve:

i. the one time allocation of $50,000 from the Vehicle Plant Account for one subcompact vehicle and one van,
ii. $20,000 for five handheld computers and software, with funds provided from increased parking enforcement and parking meter revenues,
iii. $19,000 to future Operating Budgets for annual vehicle operating costs.

C. THAT Council approve the parking meter rate changes detailed in Appendix A of the Administrative Report dated April 23, 2003, entitled "Parking Operations & Enforcement Branch - Service Level Updates and Parking Meter Rate Changes", to be more compatible with off-street parking rates;

FURTHER THAT the Director of Legal Services bring forward the necessary By-law changes to reflect the parking meter rate changes.

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D. THAT staff report back on a long-term strategy for the City's Parking Enforcement Program including compliance goals and sustainable staffing levels.

E. THAT staff set up a consultation mechanism to have a comprehensive process with the BIA's for report back by year end; and

FURTHER THAT staff work with the BIA's on proposals to reduce demand for employee parking.

CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY

i.	2.0 FTE	2 Parking Enforcement Officers
ii.	2.0 FTE	2 Superintendent I
iii.	1.0 FTE	1 Systems Analyst IA
iv.	1.0 FTE	1 Network Support Specialist I
v.	4.0 FTE	8 Regular Part-Time Coin Collectors