Extract from Report to Council
Standing Committee of Council
on Transportation and Traffic
May 6, 1997
2. City Hall Pay Parking Proposal to Reduce Auto Commuting
File No: 5653-2/1307-1
The Committee had before it an Administrative Report dated February
11, 1997 (on file), in which the General Manager of Engineering
Services, in consultation with the Director of Human Resources, General
Manager of Corporate Services and General Manager of Community Services
outlined measures required to implement a pay-parking system for
approximately 1060 City Hall precinct employees. At the request of CUPE
Local 15 the report was deferred from the March 11th and April 22nd
meetings of the Committee to permit Civic employee representatives to
meet with Human Resource Services. This meeting has now taken place,
and as a result, staff will be given 60 days' notice following Council
approval of any pay parking proposal.
Ian Adam, Assistant City Engineer, Transportation, provided Council
with an overview of the report, and noted the pay parking program forms
part of an overall Travel Demand Management program to reduce vehicle
use and subsequently automobile emissions. He advised the proposed
vehicle rate of $2 per day, is less than half that charged in the
Central Broadway corridor to the west. Those using vehicles for City
purposes would be reimbursed.
In answer to questions from Council, Mr. Adam noted:
the report suggests Councillors' vehicles would be exempt from
payment, as would disabled parking, Mayor's office, loading zones,
press, day-care and mixed fleet and auto allowance parking;
revenue generated could go toward incentives to reduce auto
dependence such as improvements to bicycle facilities, and
subsidized transit passes;
only the stalls for employee use found in the 10th Avenue surface
lot and the two levels of the City Square parkade would be
initially included in the program;
the incentive to car poolers is the reduction in rate due to people
sharing the cost, and the guarantee of a dedicated car pool space.
In response to a question from Council, Judy Rogers, Deputy City
Manager, advised management is comfortable with the current Collective
Agreement and feels any pay parking decision could be defended if
challenged in Court.
Paul Faoro, 1st Vice President, CUPE Local 15, on behalf of the
Union, discussed his concerns with the report. He noted the language in
the Collective Agreement for CUPE Local 15 is similar to that of Langara
College, where a recent Arbitration Award for paid parking was decided
in the Union's favour. As legal proceedings are not yet complete, he
urged Council not make a decision on pay parking prior to resolution of
the Langara issue. Mr. Faoro, also stated the report s recommendations
do nothing to reduce auto emissions as no turn down in cars was
anticipated when estimating parking revenues.
He further noted employees are urged to use alternative modes of
travel, but the report offers no alternatives nor incentives. A
comprehensive plan was called for, with data and information on travel
methods used by those employees who are not single occupant vehicle
users. Reference was made to the Seattle U-Pass system, VGH incentives
and the G.V.R.D.'s parking program. Mr. Faoro cited the compressed work
week as the biggest City reducer of daily traffic, and highlighted the
need to make car poolers exempt from any parking fee. He concluded key
components for reducing auto use are not provided in the staff report
and CUPE is willing to look at, and participate in, a complete proposal
that would encourage alternatives to single-occupant vehicle use for
City employees.
Jim Anderson, Shop Steward, CUPE Local 15, (brief filed)
highlighted the following issues and concerns:
creation of car pool space has not resulted in any increase in car
pools for 2 ´ years
the quoted market value of pay parking along the Central Broadway
corridor is not comparable to the City Hall precinct
the report makes no reference to a resident permit parking fee
report approved by Council on April 22, which sets the value of
parking adjacent the Central Broadway area at approximately $200
per year or $16.66 per month
a number of discrepancies were highlighted in projected pay-parking
revenue figures
the report does not recommend senior staff pay fair market value
for their reserved parking spaces
Mr. Anderson expressed the hope these issues would be addressed and
presented to the Union for review.
After hearing the foregoing delegations, some Council members felt
further review of this matter was required.
The following motion by Cllr. Chiavario was put and lost.
THAT this matter be deferred.
- LOST
(Cllrs. Bellamy, Clarke, Daniel Lee, Don Lee, Price, Puil, Sullivan and
the Mayor opposed)
Discussion continued briefly, and again Council members expressed
the need for a report back from staff to include further
study/clarification on:
- cash flow and numbers discussed in both the Administrative Report
dated February 11, 1997, and the brief submitted by Mr. Anderson,
CUPE Local 15
- comparable parking rates on other sites in the Mount Pleasant area
- how the issue compares to the Langara situation
- further details on the tax deductibility issue for Councillors and
Form 2200
The following motion by Mayor Owen was put and carried. The
Committee, therefore,
RECOMMENDED,
THAT this whole matter be deferred to allow for further study.
- CARRIED
(Cllrs. Bellamy, Price and Puil opposed)