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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-06-20 Public Comment - UNA - UNA Concerns about Proposed Increase in Parking Permit Fees in MSU_BHS RPPDs.From:Chris Mehl To:Agenda Subject:FW: UNA Concerns about Proposed Increase in Parking Permit Fees in MSU/BHS RPPDs. Date:Monday, July 6, 2020 12:55:43 PM Attachments:UNA to Parking Comm Concern Proposed 2021 Parking Permit Fees MSU-BHS RPPD.docx Chris Mehl Mayor, City of Bozeman cmehl@bozeman.net 406.581.4992 ________________________________________ From: KPowell & S Griswold [powellgriz@icloud.com] Sent: Monday, July 06, 2020 12:25 PM To: Brit Fontenot; Ed Meece; Cyndy Andrus; Chuck Winn; Chris Mehl Cc: Danielle Hess Subject: UNA Concerns about Proposed Increase in Parking Permit Fees in MSU/BHS RPPDs. Brit, Ed, Deputy Mayor Cyndy Andrus, Chuck and Mayor Chris Mehl The University Neighbors Assoc board and neighbors have concerns about the proposed 50% increase in annual fees for parking permits in the MSU/BHS RPPDs. UNA also has concerns about how RPPDs are currently funded. Attached is a letter to you & the Parking Commission along with a chart that compares revenues & expenses for the MSU/BHS RPPDs using Permit Fees and Citation Fines in FY2019, FY2020 and FY2021. Please review prior to the July 9 Parking Commission meeting. Brit and Ed, please forward this email and attachments to the Parking Commission so they can review it as well. Thanks you. Kathy Powell, Pres UNA powellgriz@icloud.com<mailto:powellgriz@icloud.com> 406-600-1164 Kathy Francisco, Vice Pres UNA Pat Flaherty, Secretary UNA July 6th, 2020 TO: Bozeman Parking Commission: James Ness, Chair; Mark Egge, Vice Chair; Randy Carpenter, Paul Neubauer; Kelly Pohl; Shasta Winston; and Kelly Wiseman Brit Fontenot, City Economic Development Director Ed Meece, Parking Program Manager Deputy Mayor Cyndy Andrus. Commission liaison to Parking Commission Chuck Winn, Asst City Manager Mayor Chris Mehl From: University Neighbors Association (UNA): Kathy Powell, President; Kathy Francisco, Vice President Pat Flaherty, Secretary RE: Concerns about proposed Increase in Parking Permit Fees in MSU/BHS Residential Parking Permit Districts The University Neighbors Assoc board and neighbors are concerned about the proposed 50% increase in annual fees for new and renewing parking permits in the MSU/BHS Residential Parking permit Districts (RPPD). Going from $30/permit to $45 is steep, especially during a serious economic downslide due to COVID-19. Currently, funding for RPPDs is based solely on revenue from parking permits. This reflects the current Bozeman Municipal Code, Sec 36-04-350A. However, it is logical that revenues from citation fines in RPPDs should also be considered as a way to help offset costs of RPPDs. Most homes in UNA are in the MSU RPPD. UNA is asking the Parking Commission and City Commission to: 1. Keep the current permit fee at $30/permit for the coming permit year. 2. Meet with UNA and other neighborhoods in MSU/BHS RPPDs to review how the RPPDs are funded in future. Why review of funding for MSU/BHS RPPDs Last year at the June 13, 2019, Parking Commission Meeting, Parking Program Manager Ed Meece stated that the city issued approximately $100,000 in citations within the MSU/BHS RPPDs. He also said that the majority of citations were in the MSU RPPD due to size of the district and cost difference in citations (MSU $60, BHS $20). It is logical that revenue from all or a percentage of the $100,000 citation fines should be used to offset costs of running the MSU/BHS RPPDs. These funds have been generated because of the existence of RPPDs. It makes sense that those funds or a percentage of them should be part of the formula to cover RPPD costs. It is time to open a discussion with the Parking Commission, City Commission and residents in the MSU/BHS RPPDs about utilizing funds from both permit fees and citation fines as revenue in the RPPDs. Another reason Parking Staff recommend a fee increase is because the number of parking permits purchased are decreasing, especially for Visitor’s Permits. This decrease is most likely due to recent increases in permit fees and the difficulty residents are having using the complex on-line registration for Visitor’s vehicles. People are shying away from buying Visitor’s permits because it is hard and a hassle to register visiting vehicles on-line. Money from citation fees in RPPD would not be generated if the RPPDs did not exist. The quality of life in neighborhoods in the MSU & BHS RPPD has improved significantly since RPPDs were set up in the mid 1990s with less traffic, adequate resident parking, and safer streets. Many neighbors in UNA are surprised when they learn that the money generated from fines in the RPPDs is not already being credited to offset RPPD operations. On the next page is a comparison chart that shows revenues and expenses for the MSU/BHS RPPDs using Permit Fees and Citation Fines. The number of permits, revenues & expenses are taken from the Bozeman Program Manager’s 6/2019 and 6/2020 spreadsheets. The chart also shows what the bottom line would be using different percentages of issued citation fines as revenue. RPPDs can be sustainable if both permit fees and all or a percentage of citation fines are part of the formula in funding these parking districts. Thank you for your consideration. Revenue & Expenses for MSU & BHS RPPD using Permit Fees & Citation Fines*** (from Bz Parking Program Mgr spreadsheets 6/2019 & 6/2020) FY 2019 Permits $25/yr Income 2,278 permits sold $ 56,979 Budgeted Expenses* $100,970 Total Surplus /(Deficit) (-$43,991) Include as revenue FY2019 MSU/BHS RPPD Citation fines issued* 100% = $100,000 Surplus /(Deficit) +$56,009 60% = $ 60,000 Surplus /(Deficit) +$16,009 50% = $50,000 Surplus /(Deficit) +$ 6,009 FY 2020 Permit $30/yr Income 2,082 permits sold $ 61,093 (includes 101 Service @$10/yr) Budgeted Expenses* $115,471 (Expenses prorated % same as 2019) Total Surplus /(Deficit) (-$54,378) Include as revenue Est FY20 MSU /BHS RPPD Citation fines issued * 100% = $100,000 Surplus /(Deficit) $45,622 60% = $ 60,000 Surplus /(Deficit) $ 5,622 50% = $50,000 Surplus /(Deficit) (-$ 4,378) FY 2021 Permit $30/yr $35/yr $40/yr Income Est. 2,082 permits sold $ 61,093 $70,345 $80,250 (includes 101 Service @$10/yr) Budgeted Expenses* $115,471 $115,471 $115,471 (Expenses prorated same as 2019) Total Surplus /(Deficit) (-$54,378) (-$45,126) (-$35,221) Include as revenue Est FY21 MSU /BHS RPPD Citation fines issued * 100% = $100,000 Surplus /(Deficit) +$45,622 +$54,874 +$ 67,779 60% = $ 60,000 Surplus /(Deficit) $ 5,622 +$14,874 +$ 24,779 50% = $50,000 Surplus /(Deficit) (-$ 4,378) +$ 4,874 +$ 14,779 *Budgeted Expenses for MSU/BHS RPPDs are prorated in terms of: -- Parking Clerk (25%), Parking Mgr (10%), Operating (10%) & Enforcement(25%) ** From Minutes of June 13, 2019, Parking Commission meeting Money from RPPD citation fines are generated only because MSU/BHS RPPDs exist. Using all or a percentage (50-60%) of fines as revenue along with permit fees is a logical way to offset expenses for MSU & BHS RPPDs. Doing so makes the RPPDs self-sustaining. University Neighborhood Assoc and other neighbors are asking the City to revisit funding for RPPDs. ***Chart created by University Neighbors Assoc 7-5-2020