Receive a report and provide direction to staff on whether to pursue creation of a contractor parking fee program in the residential zoning districts

Receive a report and provide direction to staff on whether to pursue creation of a contractor parking fee program in the residential zoning districts.

Executive Summary:

Recently, the City has again begun to explore ways to improve parking in both the commercial and residential zoning districts of the village.  This has included conversations about implementing a fee for contractor parking in the residential areas.  This report is intended to provide a brief overview of what a contractor parking fee program could look like, potential benefits and challenges, and most importantly facilitate a “yes” or “no” direction from Council as to whether staff should further pursue developing a program and fee at this time.            

Discussion:

New construction and the remodel of existing homes has continued to increase over the past few years.  Despite the pandemic in 2020, approximately 450 building permits were issued, with approximately 280 being issued by mid-year of 2021.  This puts the city ahead of last year’s number and on track to issue approximately 560 building permits in 2021.  While not all of these building permits are for work that requires multiple contractors to park at a jobsite, many still do, which can cause several potentially serious issues in the City’s residential neighborhoods.  During conversations with City Council regarding a larger paid parking program, the concept of a parking fee for contractor vehicles in the residential zone was discussed.  The goal of a contractor parking fee would be to incentivize fewer vehicles on project sites, thereby reducing the impact of construction projects on parking in neighborhoods.  Specifics of a contractor parking fee were not discussed by the Council, but general concept was that at some point early in the process, contractors would be responsible for paying a fee to obtain a parking permit for one or more vehicles that would be on site during construction.         

At this point in time, staff is only seeking a formal “yes” or “no” direction from the City Council as to whether to develop a parking permit program for contractors and determine a fee which would need to be approved by Council.  Although very early in the process, there are still several things for the Council to consider when deciding whether to create a contractor parking fee program.  These considerations include, but are not limited to: · 

• Impacts – The largest and most obvious impact of multiple contractor vehicles being parked in residential zones is associated with village’s very narrow streets.  Multiple jobsite vehicles can block the roadway, preventing access for emergency vehicles, creating unsafe passing conditions for general motorists, and taking parking away from residents in the affected neighborhood.  A fee program could encourage contractors to require more carpooling from workers to avoid the cost associated with parking multiple vehicles at a site.  Secondary impacts from multiple large vehicles driving to a single site each day include things like greenhouse gas emissions, and additional traffic on city streets which create congestion during peak hours and also contribute to the degradation of asphalt.  It should be noted that an unintended consequence of a program like this could be to displace contractor vehicles somewhere else in the city, which will need to be analyzed by staff if the Council chooses to move forward.
• Compliance – The success of any program like this relies heavily on a city’s ability to gain compliance and ultimately enforce permit requirements if needed.  With limited compliance resources, it may be a challenge to continue all other compliance efforts at the same level if a new program is created.  If the Council wishes to pursue a parking fee, consideration should be given to the city’s ability to actively monitor and enforce contractor parking.  If a program is developed, staff will analyze and present options for the Council to consider such as which department(s) should lead the effort, and the possibility of using contract support to ensure compliance.
• Program structure – As previously mentioned, specifics of a contactor parking fee program were not discussed by the Council, only the general concept.  If the Council wishes to move forward, staff will work to develop more specifics including but not limited to:  1) When in the process a parking permit fee will be charged, 2) How permits will be displayed, 3) Permit costs, 4) Total number of permits allowed per site, and 5) How long permits are valid for.  Council may choose to provide additional considerations to staff for crafting the parameters of a contractor parking fee program.
• Staff time/Council priorities – Although a relatively focused exercise, development of a contractor parking fee will still require staff time and resources.  If the Council chooses to move forward, a program will need to be developed and brought back to the Council for discussion at a future meeting along with adoption of a fee by ordinance which would become effective 30 days later.  In addition, implementation of the program will include tasks such as outreach to contractors, creation of application forms, updating the city’s website and online permit portal, sourcing and printing the physical parking passes/stickers, and ultimately compliance efforts as previously discussed in this report.  At the May 12th, 2021 strategic retreat, the City Council discussed the city’s five (5) major priority areas (financial stability, community engagement, etc.) as well as a number of “added priorities” (outdoor dining, forest management plan, affordable housing plan, paid parking program, etc.).  As part of considering whether to proceed with development of a contractor parking fee program, the Council should weigh this project along with these other previously discussed priorities, which are currently slated to be reported on at the September 7th City Council Agenda. 

Direction:

Staff is seeking the following direction:

1. Is the City Council interested (Yes/No) in pursuing creation of a contractor parking fee program in the residential zoning districts?
2. If “yes”, does the Council have any guidance related to development of the program based on the information presented in this staff report?

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:

Not Applicable.  As a report and request for direction only, this action will not result in a direct or indirect physical change in the environment.  Nothing is being approved by the City Council at this point.  Therefore, the action does not qualify as a “project” as defined in section 15378 of the CEQA Guidelines, and is not subject to environmental review. 

Direction from Council on whether to pursue creation of a contractor parking fee program in the residential zoning districts has no fiscal impacts on the City.  Any staff time associated with this work would be part of the adopted City Budget.  Once a program is developed, staff will return to Council for adoption of an associated fee.  Any fiscal impacts associated with this new fee would be discussed in future reports.     

None for this action.