Item 3: Contingency Funds for Eugene Celebration Parking

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reduction in the contribution to the General Fund from the parking funds, and it is anticipated that trend will continue until the timing of increased parking fees is appropriate or downtown development turns a significant corner and substantially increases revenue in downtown. While it may seem like a small thing for one or two days a year, subsidizing or enabling ‘free’ parking furthers the issue the City is facing. For events such as the Eugene Celebration, Bach Festival, Hult Center concerts and plays, parking spots are not the destination, but are merely the means to the destination. Staff’s hope is that parking is not an impediment and that is why some balance between paid and free parking options is sought. Also, in addition to driving, the City of Eugene encourages the use of many forms of transportation to events such as the Eugene Celebration, including mass transit, biking, and walking.. Currently, as noted above in the answer to one of Councilor Kelly’s questions, there are no LRCS and/or PDD funds budgeted to subsidize free parking for the Eugene Celebration. There was a two-time budget allocation made to the Eugene Celebration of $50,000 for FY07 and FY08 operating expenses through the recently completed budget process. There has been some discussion about downtown merchants subsidizing all or part of the parking. Staff is not aware of the current status of these discussions. Discretionary funding from the General Fund contingency could also be tapped for such a subsidy. Another method for capturing the subsidy for parking costs would be to include it in the cost of the Eugene Celebration ticket, but this would truly be a subsidy by those attendees who choose to take alternative modes of transportation to the event. As in past years, free parking options will exist for Eugene Celebration patrons. For this year, event parking will only be charged for the same hours mentioned above in four of our six garages: Overpark, Parcade, Broadway Place North and South. The Pearl Street Garage and Hult Center garages will be open and free-of-charge. This information could be emphasized in the marketing of the Eugene Celebration this year, whereas it has not been in the past. RELATED CITY POLICIES This topic is related to the 2005-2006 City Council Goal of fair, stable and adequate financial resources: A government whose ongoing financial resources are based on a fair and equitable system of revenues and are adequate to maintain and deliver municipal services. It is also related indirectly to the City Council Priority of strengthening and promoting community "Arts and Outdoors" assets. COUNCIL OPTIONS The council options for Eugene Celebration weekend parking include: 1.Affirm the City Manager’s recommendation to charge for parking in four of the six parking garages downtown, providing free parking in the remaining two. 2.Approve the use of $7,500 of General Fund contingency dollars to underwrite the cost of parking, therefore making parking free in all six parking garages. 3.Direct the City Manager to negotiate the fee waiver with Eugene Celebration coordinators and add this charge to other City-related expenses (such as EPD services) to be billed to the event. L:\CMO\2006 Council Agendas\M060814\S0608143.doc