Title
Approval of an Ordinance Amending Title 4 of the Olympia Municipal Code Relating to Residential Parking Fees
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Land Use and Environment Committee recommends the proposed changes.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve the ordinance amending Olympia Municipal Code Title 4 related to residential parking fees on second reading.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve the ordinance amending Olympia Municipal Code Title 4 related to residential parking fees.
Staff Contact:
Max DeJarnatt, Parking Program Analyst, Community Planning & Development, 360.570.3723.
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar Item.
Background and Analysis:
Background and analysis has not changed from first to second reading.
On February 4, the City Council approved an ordinance amending 10.16 and 10.20 relating to parking. As a result, and in an effort to consolidate fee information, the amended residential permit section OMC 10.16.055 refers readers to parking rates as set out in Fees Title 4, Section 70, effective March 9.
In reports provided to the Land Use and Environment Committee (at the Feb. 21, 2019, meeting) and City Council (at the Sept. 24, 2019, meeting), staff recommended an increase of residential parking fees within zones bounded by the Downtown Planning area from $10 per vehicle per year to $60 per vehicle per year. This ordinance finalizes the permit fee increase. This is the first time that residential parking permit fees have been increased since 2005.
From the Parking Strategy, adopted by the City Council in April 2019:
5.4: Increase the price of on-street residential and 9-hour meter permits to incentivize the use of off-street parking options. On-street permit costs should be consistent with hourly and daily rates.
Increasing the cost of permits for on-street parking will encourage the use of off-street alternatives, which is a more appropriate location for long-term parking. The on-street permits for residents are currently $10 annually and the on-street permits for employees are currently $60 per month. These prices are not conducive to incentivizing alternative parking in some of the available off-street facilities.
At the beginning of 2020, the City increased parking meter and monthly on- and off-street parking permit rates. With residential permits at $10 per year, the City has incentivized long-term, on-street parking in the midst of rapidly increasing demand for on-street parking. The proposed increase represents the first phase towards a demand-based fee structure that more accurately represents the value of these parking stalls.
These increases were first recommended by the Land Use and Environment Committee (LUEC) in 2018; however, they were tabled due to evolving discussions with the South Capitol Neighborhood, whose zones 1, 2, and 3 were included in the original proposal. Those zones, in addition to the residential zone east of the Downtown Planning Boundary (Zone 6), are not included in these recommended increases but will instead be brought to the LUEC in April of this year.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
This impacts residents who store their car at metered or timed areas within the Downtown planning zone. The Downtown Neighborhood Association was briefed on these increases in November 2018 and January 2020.
Options:
1. Approve ordinance amending Residential Parking Fees to Title 4 on first second reading.
2. Modify ordinance amending Residential Parking Fees to Title 4.
3. Do not approve the ordinance.
Financial Impact:
Fee increases represent an estimated $32,000 in additional Parking Fund dollars.
Attachments:
Ordinance
Residential Parking Zone Map
Parking Permits 2007-2019