HomeMy WebLinkAboutAB2586_LtrToBrown_20160920Office of the City Councl'l
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September 20, 2016
The Honorable Jerry Brown
Governor, State of California
State Capitol, First Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Via email :leor �u� n . t fa) aov. c ca.goy
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RE: AB 2586 (Gatto). Par (as enrolled)
Request for VETO
Dear Governor Brown:
The City San Luis Obispo respectfully requests your veto on AB 2586 (Gatto), which
would restrict the ability of local governments to regulate local parking. This bill
unnecessarily upends local authority to regulate parking, an authority that cities have had since
at least 1959.
In 2013, the state enacted AB 61 (Gatto, Chapter 71, Statutes of 2013), a bill narrowly
targeted at broken parking meters which is set to expire at the end of this year. The bill
currently before you, AB 25 86, if signed will permanently delete the sunset of AB 61, despite
some preliminary evidence that vandalism has increased since its passage. It should also be
noted that most cities do not have any parking meters at all, other cities already had existing
ordinances to not ticket cars at broken meters, and broken meters typically represent a fraction
of all meters in the cities that have them, making this an unusual candidate for permanent
statewide policy.
Furthermore, AB 2586 goes beyond the expiring provisions and meddles into city
street sweeping and contracting activities. The bill takes a one -size -fits -all approach by
requiring that cities make parking promptly available once street sweeping and other
maintenance activities have been provided. For most cities, this is not only impractical, but
also a waste of limited resources. The bill also prohibits cities that contract out for parking
enforcement from providing contract incentives.
Our local streets and roads are an essential part of our overall infrastructure and
provide much more than just parking for our residents. Our urban forestry, undergrounded
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utilities, stormwater ways, and other essential infrastructure are inextricably linked to our local
streets and roads. While parking is something cities strive to make available as much as
possible, our residents also expect their cities to deliver other services, such as tree trimming,
garbage collection, and debris removal. This bill would only create confusion on when
someone can or cannot park in any given spot, potentially leading to more tickets and more
frustration for our residents without providing any meaningful benefits.
No entity is better equipped than local government to regulate the parking needs of its
residents and as cities continue to demonstrate their willingness to adapt to those needs, it is
unnecessary for the state to insert itself into this core local issue.
For these reasons, the City of San Luis Obispo requests your veto of AB 2586.
Sincerely,
Jan owell Marx
Mayor
Cc: San Luis Obispo City Council
State Assembly Member Mike Gatto, fax (916) 319 - 2143
State Senator Bill Morning, fax (916) 651 — 4917
State Assembly Member Katcho Achadjian, fax (916) 319-2135
Michael Martinez, Deputy Legislative Secretarv., Office of Governor Edmund G.
Brown Jr, fax (916) 558-3177
Dave Mullinax, League of California Cities, dmuIIinax(a,)cacities.org
Meg Desmond, League of California Cities, mdesmond(iDcacities.grg