City of Vancouver
Inter-Office Correspondence
ENGINEERING SERVICES
July 6, 1995
MEMO TO: Mayor and Council
COPY TO: Ken Dobell, City Manager
Maria Kinsella, City Clerk
FROM: B.D. MacGregor, Deputy City Engineer
SUBJECT: PARKING POLICY WORKSHOP
The purpose of this memo is to expand upon some comments raised in the June 29,
1995 Council workshop with respect to the Parking Policy.
Council, on June 20, 1995, received for information the June 8th report entitled
"City of Vancouver Parking Policy". The information contained in the report
with respect to future parking policy directions will be referred to and
considered as part of the Transportation Plan review along with any other ideas
of Council.
The report entitled "On Street Parking Control Equipment" [U/B-1 (ii)] has three
recommendations. The recommendation with respect to hiring a consultant to
review security of our parking meter operations will not be implemented until we
have completed a thorough staff review. In discussions with Finance, we expect
to complete the review later this year. The consultant review will probably be
handled on an hourly basis within the identified budget of $40,000.
With respect to the third report entitled "Operation of City Owned Off-Street
Parking Facilities" [U/B-1 (i)] there was considerable information provided to
Council by the Parking Corporation of Vancouver (VPC) at the June 29th workshop.
The Council report submitted was vetted through the Parking Corporation and the
only significant point at issue was VPC desire for exclusive control of all City
parking. During the workshop, several additional recommendations were proposed
by VPC.
The following is a summary of the VPC recommendations with staff comments
provided in bold print and proposed amendments indicated:
.../2ACCOUNTABILITY RECOMMENDATIONS
A. VPC budgets continues to be co-ordinated with Engineering Services, then
submitted to and Corporate Services for eventual approval. by Council.
Amendments to be reflected in the operating agreement.
B. Engineering Services continue to advise, assist and monitor VPC
operations, enforcement and administration.
Recommendation okay and new agreement will reflect.
C. Corporate Services continue to advise, assist and monitor VPC accounting,
financial reporting, risk management and annual audit.
Recommendation okay and new agreement will reflect.
D. VPC to appear as a line revenue item in City of Vancouver Annual Report
The annual report shows parking revenues from all sources. The individual
revenue details are best shown in the annual financial statements for the
VPC which already identifies both gross and net revenue. It is worth
noting that revenues from parking operations go to the Parking Sites
Reserve for future investment, unlike the parking meter revenue which
directly reduces the property taxes.
CONSOLIDATION RECOMMENDATIONS
E. VPC Board continues to be accountable to Council have a Council
Representative., with activities assisted and monitored by:
1. Engineering Services - Operations (including Capital and Operating
Budget), enforcement and administration
2. Corporate Services - corporation budget, accounting, financial
reporting, risk management and annual audit
Will be reflected in operating agreement and 1 and 2 are the same as B and
C above, so they can be deleted.
F. Consolidation of all engineering and real estate services off-street
carparks under VPC, upon expiry of current leases.
See discussion in June 7, 1995, report on page 3. No change is
recommended to the facilities operated, at this time , however, it should
be noted that flexibility for Council be incorporated in the agreements to
allow for additional operations.
G. Municipal parking program to be reviewed as part of City's Transportation
study
1. Consideration given to consolidation of all City of Vancouver off-
street parking under one agency, including Civic Theatres and Park
Board
Council policy directions should be part of Transportation Study broad
focus. Item 1 above is too narrow for the Transportation Study and is
dealt with as part of F above.
2. Consideration given to consolidation of all on and off-street
parking operations, enforcement and administration under one agency
Item 2 is already achieved by having Engineering and Corporate Services
staff co-ordinate all on and off-street functions, some directly and some
through agreements such as VPC. The consolidated agency which exists
today is City Council and this should not change.
The provision of short term off-street parking is an important part of an
effective Transportation plan. The VPC provides garage operating services
with a staff of similar size to City parking meter enforcement,
collection, and administrative functions.
In conclusion, we recommend:
1. Approval of U/B-1 (i)
2. Approval of U/B-1 (ii), A, B, C.
3. Further, if Council wish to consider VPC submissions it is
recommended that you approve A as amended, B, C, E, as amended on
page 2 of this memo.
B.D. MacGregor, P.Eng
Deputy City Engineer
BDM/sf
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