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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-14-21 Parking Place Commission Final Minutes MINUTES December 14, 2021 CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO REGULAR MEETING PARKING PLACE COMMISSION CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order at 5:05 p.m. by Chairperson Abarca ROLL CALL Present: Dana Abarca, Chairperson Hermes Monzon, Vice Chairperson Jolene Malfatti, Commissioner Absent: City Staff: Christopher Espiritu, Secretary of the Parking Place Commission Adena Friedman, Principal Planner VACANT, Clerk AGENDA REVIEW Christopher Espiritu, Secretary to the Parking Place Commission, noted one change to the order of items. Items 3 and 4 will moved up and heard first, given that other ECD Staff Members are attending and do not need to be in attendance for Items 2 and 2a. All Commissioner agreed with the change. PUBLIC COMMENT: None received through email or voicemail or during the meeting. APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES: Regular Meeting Minutes of the Parking Place Commission September 14, 2021 Motion – Commissioner Malfatti / Second – Vice Chair Monzon – to approve the minutes as submitted. Approved by voice vote (3-0-0). ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS 1. Update on the Parking Garage Study - Julie Barnard and Heather Ruiz provided an update on the Parking Garage Study. DocuSign Envelope ID: EFB5D289-FE68-476C-8DB4-6E05F5DEA026 o A consultant was hired to determine the appropriate public-private partnership and Capital Improvement Project development path. o The project is currently on hold to identify funding paths, including raising parking rates, and issuing a bond to cover design and construction - As part of the consultant’s work, they identified sites for the 226 parking space garage at: 1) Cypress and Miller, 2) 300 Baden, 3) 200 block of Baden, and 4) City Hall Super Block Site. o Staff noted that Council did not view the other sites as feasible, therefore directed the City Manager and Staff to explore the Cypress and Miller Site - Commissioner Comments: o Commissioner Malfatti noted concerns with the timing of the project and potential parking rate increases during the pandemic. Rates increases to be comparable to Burlingame would not be equal given higher incomes in Burlingame. o Chair Abarca noted problems with parking rate increases and if the Commission does not approve parking rate increases, then parking won’t be built at all. Disagrees with postponing the project. o Chair Abarca noted that not building the parking garage and o Commissioner Monzon noted concerns that they are the experts and do not agree with the consultant coming in and telling them what to do, without input. o Commissioner Monzon noted unease and hesitancy to approve any parking rate increases and is disappointed that this recommendation by the consultants did not include the community at the table. o Commissioner Malfatti asked if there was any way to survey the community on 1) how important is the parking garage is to you 2) how important is having affordable parking without raising rates? o Location does not concern Commissioner Malfatti as much as how it is going to be funded, which is at the expense of the community where many have lost work and faced challenges. Timing is bad and insensitive to go in and “hike the rates.” o Chair Abarca asked whether businesses on Grand and Linden would be happy to lose customers or no businesses because parking would be $5 and this would punish both businesses AND the customers. o Commissioner Monzon noted that reports of the parking revenue was less than $3 million (about $1 million per year). This does not make sense that the City does not keep a budget for the parking garage and now burdens the residents with raising parking rates. o Commissioner Malfatti asked how the Miller Avenue Garage was funded—(Purchased and funded construction with Redevelopment Agency funds, with minimal City funds). o With regards to Redevelopment Agency sites where parking currently exist, Commissioner Monzon researched that the State mandates that cities build housing, but not in all areas, and there needs to be parking, parks, otherwise there will be a collapse. DocuSign Envelope ID: EFB5D289-FE68-476C-8DB4-6E05F5DEA026 2. Parking Rate Changes 2022 – INFORMATIONAL - Staff continued the discussion on potential parking rate increases and approached the potential schedule of any rate increases. Staff acknowledged that additional information needs to be provided to the Commission. - Commissioner Comments: o Commissioners Monzon and Abarca requests a breakdown of the specific rate increases being proposed—Staff to provide this information as part of the minutes and for discussion in the January PPC meeting. o Commissioner Malfatti noted that if we move forward with the Parking Garage, there should not be just a minimal amount of funding for construction and design, and later need to raise taxes or raise parking rates again o Chair Abarca noted that nobody will be happy with such high increases, and in combination with rising costs of goods and gas, this would not be possible. 3. Report regarding a resolution approving a waiver of parking fees at the Miller Avenue Parking Garage in support of small businesses during the holidays. - Christopher Espiritu, Secretary to the Commission, provided the staff report and resolution to consider and approve the waiver of parking fees at the Miller Garage (1st 100 publicly available spaces) during the week of Christmas and New Year’s Day. - Consistent with more recent past practices, parking fees and meters on Grand Avenue and other on-street locations in the Downtown would remain enforced. This is mainly to discourage all-day parking, and encourage turnover of parking throughout the day. - Commissioner Comments: o Commissioners all support this item and wish to continue this annually. o Commissioner Monzon noted that outdoor dining spaces need to be returned to regular parking. It is up to costumers, not up to the businesses, whether they will occupy outdoor dining. o Commissioner Monzon applauded the City for purchasing the barriers instead of renting. - Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve the Staff Report and Resolution ITEMS FROM THE COMMISSION - Commissioner Monzon is requesting that staff provide a refresher on meeting cancellation procedures. - Commissioner Monzon noted that commission meetings must take place regardless, even when there are not actionable items on the agenda. DocuSign Envelope ID: EFB5D289-FE68-476C-8DB4-6E05F5DEA026 Chairperson Abarca adjourned the meeting at 5:59 p.m. Respectfully submitted. _____________________________ _____________________________ Christopher Espiritu Dana Abarca Parking Place Commission Secretary Parking Place Commission Chairperson DocuSign Envelope ID: EFB5D289-FE68-476C-8DB4-6E05F5DEA026