HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-07-09 City CouncilTO:
BUDGET
’01-’03
City of Palo Alto
City Manager’s Report
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
ATTENTION: FINANCE COMMITTEE
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: POLICE
MAY 29, 2001 CMR:258:01
REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF FUNDING IN THE AMOUNT OF
$384,087 AND REVENUES OF $495,000 TO BE INCLUDED IN THE
2002-2003 PROPOSED BUDGET FOR START-UP COSTS FOR
IMPLMENTATION OF DOWNTOWN RESIDENTIAL PARKING
PERMIT PROGAM
RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff recommends that the Finance Committee recommend to the Council that funding in the
amount of $151,712 be included in the Administrative Services Department, $82,375 in the
Police Department’s, and $150,000 in the Planning Department’s proposed 2002-2003 budgets
to begin implementation of the Downtown Residential Parking Permit Program (RPP).
Associated revenues in the amount of $495,000 would be included in the budget to offset the
costs.
BACKGROUND
At the Finance Committee meeting Of May 10, 2001, the Committee approved expenditures to
be included in proposed 2002-2003 budget for start-up costs associated with a Downtown RPP
program that included enforcement Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
and short-term parking. The Committee also directed that the RPP program be cost neutral from
the beginning. Since May 10, staff has done some additional work to achieve that direction.
CMR:258:01 Page 1 of 4
DISCUSSION
In efforts to make the Downtown RPP program cost neutral from the beginning, staff has
developed a detailed timeline (Attachment A) for program implementation over the next several
years and has projected costs and revenues to coincide with that timeline.
Staff has also attempted ,to make the program cost recovery much earlier by balancing the
revenue between citation fines and permit fees. The only way to achieve the cost neutral goal
is to increase the costs for resident permits. Staff’s original calculations were based upon a $10
fee for the first two residents’ permits and $10 for two resident guest permits. Maintaining that
permit fee level would not allow for the program to. be cost neutral from the beginning.
However, staff believes that by increasing the permit fee to $25, enough initial revenue from
.the permit sales should be enough to cover the first year start-up costs.
It is important that several issues related to this recommendation are emphasized. The permit
revenue is based upon estimates. The higher the permit fees for residents and non-residents, the
greater the likelihood that fewer permits will be Sold. Staff will be attempting to obtain a more
definitive number of vehicles that are associated with residences in the area over the several
months. Under the proposed timeline, staff has purposely deferred the hiring of the majority
of additional personnel and the purchasing of most of the required equipment until FY 2003-
2004 in order to provide a cushion in case permit sales do not result in estimated revenues.
The implementation timeline outlined in Attachment A is an aggressive but feasible plan.
Under this timeline, the RPP ordinance would become effective on July 1, 2003 and
enforcement would actually begin on September 1, 2003. Staff believes the effective date of
July I is important, as permits would be issued on a fiscal year basis. However, staff believes
that the September 1 enforcement date is more realistic due to the time needed to train all the
additional staff and to purchase the remaining equipment. If the projected timeline for the
construction of the Downtown parking garages is met, the garages would open in the spring
2003. This would result in about a three to four month period when the garages could be open
and enforcement of the RPP ordinance would not be conducted. It is possible that some non-
residents would therefore delay the purchase of permits to park in the new parking facilities for
those months since they would continue to be able to park in the neighborhoods at no cost.
RESOURCE IMPACT
The following is a breakdown by fiscal year. The cost/revenue projections for the Downtown
RPP program:
CMR:258:01 Page 2 of 4
Revenue
Costs
Net
FY 2002-2003
$495,000
$384,087
$110,913
FY 2003-2004
$319,280
$728,112
$(408,832)
FY 2004-2005
$928,616
$613,467
$315,149
Based upon the costs/revenue projections for FY 2003’04 and FY 2004-2005, staffbelieves the
program will become cost neutra! over that two-year period and will be cost neutral in
subsequent years. The permit sales projections must materialize close to the numbers included
for the program to be cost neutral.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Associated policy implications are described in CMR:447:00.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
An environmental assessment would be completed prior to the time an ordinance could be
presented to Council.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Impl’ementation Timeline and Projected Costs/Revenues for FY 2002-2003.
PREPARED BY:
LYNNE JOHNSON
Assistant Police Chief
DEPARTMENT HEAD:
PATRICK DWYER
Chief of Police
CMR:258:01 Page 3 of 4
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
Assistant City Manager
CMR:258:01 Page 4 of 4