Honorable Mayor and Members of the Hermosa Beach City Council
Regular Meeting of March 28, 2023
Title
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HERMOSA BEACH, CALIFORNIA INCREASING PARKING METER RATES AND FINDING THE SAME EXEMPT FROM THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
(Finance Director Viki Copeland)
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends City Council:
1. Determine the appropriate hours of operation for parking meters in the City; and
2. Upon making the determination on the first recommended action, introduce and waive first reading of an ordinance entitled “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Hermosa Beach, California Increasing Parking Meter Rates and Finding the Same Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act.” (Attachment 1).
Body
Executive Summary:
Considering the recommendations included in the 2019 Coastal Zone Parking Management Study, City Council discussion and recommendations at its January 31, 2022 Parking Study Session, February 28, 2023, and March 14, 2023 meetings, staff presents the item to allow City Council to make its final determination of the hourly parking meter and parking lot rates and hours of operation for the meters.
Background:
At its February 28, 2023 meeting, City Council discussed various issues related to parking in the City including parking meter rates. As discussed at the prior meeting, metered and pay-by-space parking is currently available for $1.25 per hour, daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and $1.50 per hour, daily 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. in City lots, the downtown parking structure, and along streets and alleys. These rates were approved in 2010 and 2016, respectively. The dual-rate structure implements a demand pricing program where meters in higher demand areas (silver post) cost 25 cents more during peak (high usage) hours.
The following table details the history of meter rate increases.
|
Meter Rates-History of Rate Increases |
|
Year of Last Increase |
Rate |
|
2001 |
$.75/hour |
|
2003 |
$1.00/hour |
|
2010 |
$1.25/hour |
|
2016 |
$1.50/hour Demand pricing implemented from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. for Upper Pier Avenue, Hermosa Avenue, Lots A, B, D, and silver meters |
The table below shows a survey of meter rate comparisons with other cities.
|
Meter/Pay-by Space |
|
City |
Location |
Rate |
|
Hermosa Beach |
Upper Pier, Hermosa Avenue-10 a.m.-8 p.m./8 p.m.-2 a.m. |
$1.25/$1.50 |
|
|
Lot A, B & D (silver meters) 10 a.m.-8 p.m./8 p.m.-2 a.m. |
$1.25/$1.50 |
|
|
Lot D-yellow meters only, F, G & All Other Meters, 10a.m.-2a.m. |
$1.25 |
|
|
24-hour yellow meters and residential one--hour time limit spaces |
$5/day |
|
Manhattan Beach |
On-Street Meters Citywide |
$2.00 |
|
|
County Parking Lots/Meters |
$2.50 |
|
Redondo Beach |
Street Meters: Redondo Bike Path, North Harbor Drive, George Freeth Way, Veterans Park (Lot) |
$1/40 min; $.25/10 min; $.10/4 min; $.05/2 min |
|
|
Parking Meter Permit thru 9/21, non-transferrable, numbered parking sticker, CA plates only |
$110/Annual per vehicle. 4 hr. limit |
|
Santa Monica |
On-Street Meters Citywide |
$1.25 |
|
|
Downtown/Beach Meter Zones |
$2.50 |
|
West Hollywood |
All Streets |
|
|
|
Per 15 Minutes |
$0.50 |
|
|
Per Hour, 5-minute grace between transactions |
$2.00 |
|
|
Outdoor Dining Parking Meter Fee (Restaurants) |
|
|
|
Daytime Hourly Rate per Parking Meter |
$0.54 |
|
|
Evening Hourly Rate per Parking Meter |
$0.32 |
|
|
Annual Flat Rate per Non-Enforcement Hour |
$107.50 |
|
|
Annual Renewal Fees Subject to the LA-Long Beach-Santa Ana Area CPI Increase |
|
|
Culver City |
Areas where employee parking is scarce, and where businesses, by petition, opted for employee parking |
$0.25 per hour |
|
|
Areas with high-turnover, food pick-up in the Downtown area |
$0.75 per 15 minutes |
|
|
Outside of the Downtown area |
$1.00 per hour |
|
|
Downtown area |
$1.50 per hour |
After completing its deliberations, City Council introduced on first reading a rate increase to $2.00/$2.50 per hour to align with current parking rates in other nearby coastal cities while maintaining the demand pricing structure. However, the language in the presented ordinance did not entirely reflect the current demand-based pricing locations. Staff brought this item back at the March 14, 2023 City Council meeting. There was still agreement that the rates should be raised to $2.00/$2.50 per hour and there was also agreement that demand pricing should be instituted citywide (i.e., all meters will implement demand pricing between the hours of 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.). However, the City Council could not come to a consensus as to whether the hours of operation should be 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. or keep the existing time frame of 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Based on the need for direction from a majority of the City Council, staff recommends determining the operational hours and then introduce and waive the first reading of an ordinance effectuating that determination and raising the meter rates.
|
Meeting Date |
Description |
|
June 6, 2018 |
The City Council held a Budget Workshop, with a Five-Year Financial Forecast, including recommendations for increased citation fines. At that time, the City Council requested a survey for all parking violations. |
|
December 17, 2019 |
The City Council accepted the Coastal Zone Parking Assessment Study recommendations; directed staff to return to Council and the applicable City Commissions with the related implementation actions for each of the near-term recommendations; and directed staff to incorporate the policy recommendations into the Draft Local Coastal Program and, if appropriate, draft an amendment to the City’s Coastal Development Permit for the Preferential Parking Program and Remote Beach Park and Ride System. |
|
September 14, 2021 |
The City Council approved amending and updating the City’s Certified Coastal Land Use Plan, focused on the Mobility Element, and authorized submittal to the California Coastal Commission. |
|
September 28, 2021 |
The City Council requested that City Parking Programs and Parking Management be discussed at a future meeting. |
|
January 31, 2022 |
The City Council reviewed and discussed the status and priorities of the 12 recommendations in the Parking Management Study and challenges of coordinating these efforts with goals of Plan Hermosa and the City’s efforts to certify a Local Coastal Program with the Coastal Commission. Council directed staff to move forward with the sale of the renewal of the 2022-2023 residential and employee parking permits; place an item on a future agenda to enable Council to consider a fee increase; and restrict the out-of-state vehicles except for active military. |
|
November 3, 2022 |
The City Council awarded a contract for mobile parking payment systems (Pay-By-App) to ParkMobile, LLC and directed staff to explore opportunities to utilize the system to provide real-tome parking availability information to the public. |
|
November 29, 2022 |
The City Council approved the conclusion of all incentives for public electric vehicle charging and implementation of charging fees for electricity usage at public chargers. |
|
February 28, 2023 |
The City Council approved changes to the City’s residential parking permit program, employee permit program, and hourly parking meter and parking lot rates. |
|
March 14, 2023 |
The City Council gave City Manager or designee the discretion to waive the vehicle registration requirement, upon showing a good cause, amending the previously adopted resolution. |
Discussion:
Staff presents the current item to allow City Council to determine the hourly parking meter and parking lot rates and hours of operation for these meters. The language in the ordinance previously introduced on first reading at the February 28, 2023 City Council meeting set the parking meter rates at $2.00 per hour and then between the hours of 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, set the parking meter rates at $2.50 per hour for the following locations: Lot A, Lot B, Lot C, Upper Pier Avenue, and Hermosa Avenue. The ordinance language was solely intended to increase the meter rates and not to change any of the locations. However, after subsequent investigation, City staff realized the language provided in the first iteration of the ordinance did not accurately reflect the entirety of the locations where this demand pricing is currently in effect.
To clarify the intent of the City Council, City staff brought back the issue of parking meter rates and hours of operation to the City Council at the March 14, 2023 meeting. Four Councilmembers were present at the meeting. After deliberations, Council reached consensus that demand pricing should be instituted citywide. That is, the current bifurcated system of meters where only select meters change to the increased demand pricing between the peak hours of 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. was not the direction; rather to institute this demand pricing citywide. However, the positions were split on the operational hours of the City meters.
Parking Meters-Operational Hours
The current operational hours for single-space silver meters in the City are 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. The current operational hours for yellow metered spaces are 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. The operational hours for Lots A and C are 24-hours and Lot B is 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Any parking that takes place outside of operational hours is at no charge.
For City Council’s consideration is an ordinance which would eliminate the bifurcated approach and implement demand-based pricing for all meters in the City regardless of location. The ordinance leaves blank the morning starting hour for City meters and maintains the 2 a.m. termination hour for City meters. (Attachment 1)
Environmental Determination
Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), the City finds that there is no evidence that the Project would have a significant effect on the environment. Thus, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15061 (b)(3), it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. Furthermore, section 15273 of the CEQA Guidelines states that CEQA does not apply to modification of fees by public agencies for meeting operating expenses or financial needs.
General Plan Consistency:
This report and associated recommendation have been evaluated for their consistency with the City’s General Plan. Relevant Policies are listed below:
Mobility Element
Goal 4. A parking system that meets the parking needs and demand of residents, visitors, and employees in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
Policies:
• 4.2 Encourage coastal access. Ensure parking facilities and costs of such facilities are not a barrier to beach access by the public.
• 4.3 Reduce impacts. Reduce spillover parking impacts due to employee parking and seasonal event-based demands.
• 4.4 Preferential parking program. Periodically study and evaluate the current inventory of public parking supply and update the preferential parking program.
• 4.6 Priority parking. Provide priority parking and charging stations to accommodate the use of Electric Vehicles (EVs), including smaller short-distance neighborhood electric vehicles.
• 4.7 Parking availability. Optimize parking availability through dynamically adjusted pricing and new technology to manage available spaces for short-term parking use to encourage rates of turnover that are responsive to fluctuating demands.
• 4.8 Ensure commercial parking. Ensure that prime commercial parking spaces are available for customers and other short-term users throughout the day.
• 4.9 Encourage TDM strategies. Encourage use of transportation demand management strategies and programs such as carpooling, ride hailing, and alternative transportation modes as a way to reduce demand for additional parking supply.
• 4.10 Visitor parking information. Manage information about passes and accessing public parking lots to facilitate use by longer-distance visitors with limited transportation choices.
• 4.11 Consolidated parking facilities. Consider the development of new small-scale parking structures or shared facilities outside of the Downtown core and incorporate adaptability standards so that they may serve other uses in the future.
Fiscal Impact:
The recommended increase of meter rates from $1.25 per hour, daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and $1.50 per hour, daily 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., to $2.00 per hour and $2.50 per hour to align with current parking rates in other nearby Coastal cities would result in an estimated annual revenue increase of $1,838,489. This estimate would change if the hours of operation or locations or both are changed. The addition of demand pricing of $2.50 per hour from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. to yellow post meters would result in an estimated annual revenue increase of $174,799. Additional hours of operation from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on all meters would result in an estimated annual revenue increase of $815,452.
Attachments:
1. Draft Ordinance Increasing Parking Meter Rates and Instituting Demand Pricing City Wide and Establishing Operational Hours
2. Link to June 6, 2018 City Council Budget Workshop (see Draft Forecast and Financial Plan Attachment p.11)
3. Link to December 17, 2019 City Council Staff Report
4. Link to September 14, 2021 City Council Staff Report
5. Link to September 28, 2021 City Council Meeting Agenda
6. Link to January 31, 2022 City Council Parking Study Session Agenda
7. Link to November 3, 2022 City Council Staff Report
8. Link to November 29, 2022 City Council Staff Report
9. Link to February 28, 2023 City Council Staff Report
10. Link to March 14, 2023 City Council Staff Report
Respectfully Submitted by: Viki Copeland, Finance Director
Concur: Carrie Tai, AICP, Community Development Director
Noted for Fiscal Impact: Viki Copeland, Finance Director
Legal Review: Patrick Donegan, City Attorney
Approved: Suja Lowenthal, City Manager