HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/11/2023 Item 8a, Miller
Martha Miller <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Item 8a Preferential Parking Districts
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I am writing to express my support of a deferment of the Residential Preferential Parking District program to enable the
City to evaluate the effects/impacts of the program in light of current City policies and how it could be revised to better
ensure city resources are shared efficiently and equitably among users while ensuring appropriate parking availability for
residents.
It is not a cancellation of the program, rather a pause to update a program established in 1979 that does not reflect the
current parking context and stated goals of the city.
When the City Council considered the Access and Parking Management Plan at the February 21st City Council meeting,
the overwhelming majority of the discussion was about the Residential Parking Permit Program and the need for an in-
depth evaluation and discussion about the impacts and effects of the program as currently structured and options to
address the issues while ensuring appropriate parking availability for residents. That may include options for short term
parking, increased permit fees, and/or other items.
With the level of concern and the stated need for a ‘top to bottom’ evaluation of the program, it is in the interest of
transparency to put a pause on the program to let the discussion happen, rather than continuing to allow people to
pursue an application with no knowledge of the concerns the City has.
While the staff report does a good job of outlining reasons to support a deferment, it fails to present the numerous
questions about consistency of the program with City policies regarding sustainability, active transportation, equity, and
fiscal responsibility that were raised in previous discussions. These are serious questions the city should consider before
moving forward with more districts.
I encourage you to adopt the deferment to enable the City to evaluate the program and adopt appropriate
modifications to ensure parking availability for residents in a more efficient and equitable manner, striking the right
balance of enabling reasonable public use of the public right-of-way while ensuring parking availability for area
residents.
Martha Miller
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