HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-02-20 Public Comment - S. Hinkins and R. Gillette - Comment on RPPDFrom:Susan Hinkins
To:Agenda
Subject:Comment on RPPD
Date:Sunday, August 2, 2020 5:08:35 PM
August 1, 2020
To: Bozeman City Commissioners
Subject: Residential Parking Permit Districts
Earlier this summer, we wrote a letter to the Parking Commission to express our concerns about
their proposal to increase the residential parking permit fees. The larger concern was that, by their
analysis, the parking fees would never cover the cost of the administration and enforcement of the
Residential Parking Permit Districts (RPPDs), making the RPPD unsustainable in their opinion.
However, it was clear from the financial statement that if the revenue from citations in the RPPDs
were included in the calculation, the program would be self-sustaining, and with lower permit fees.
At that time, the plan was to have a working group look into the issue of using the revenue from the
fines to pay for the administration of the RPPD.
The July 14 letter from Ron Brey to the Bozeman City Commissioners provides both the institutional
knowledge and the documentation to show that the original plan was to use both permit fees and
fines to offset RPPD expenditures. As he states, it is not reasonable nor right to set fines in order to
generate revenue, and therefore that language was not included. However, the revenue generated
by such fines should be included as revenue to offset the costs of the RPPD.
Based on the FY 2020 numbers provided by Parking Services, and using the information from Mr.
Brey, the parking permit fees should in fact be reduced. Mr. Meece’s calculations show a ‘loss’ of
approximately $54,400 when only permit fees are counted as revenue. However, in the same report
there is over $300,00 in revenue from citations. If $100,000 of this revenue came from the RPPD,
then in fact the data indicate that the current permit fees are too high, with FY2020 showing a net
surplus of approximately $45,000.
No study group is needed. Mr. Brey has provided the necessary information. We ask you to
administer the RPPDs as intended, counting the revenue from fines in the calculation for the
sustainability of the RPPD. Our permit fees have been too high for several years, at least. There
should be an accounting for the incorrect calculation made in the past.
We have lived at the corner of S 5th and Garfield since 1983, before the RPPD was created. The
greatest benefit we immediately saw from the RPPD was the decrease in car traffic, reduction in
noise, and reduced incidents of illegal parking (across our driveway, blocking intersections.) Prior to
the RPPD, either folks were milling about looking for a parking place, or they were late for class and
simply parked ‘wherever.’ And with the large number of unmarked intersections, the car traffic was
especially chaotic. The chief advantage we get from the RPPD is NOT an ability to park near our
house. Except in the summer, we still can’t do that. The advantage is that the neighborhood feels
like a residential area rather than a busy parking lot.
Sincerely,
Susan Hinkins and Richard Gillette
1122 S 5th Ave
406-586-6773
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