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B.Work Session: Parking Issues <br /> <br />Planning and Development Department Director Paul Farmer introduced the topic, reminding the <br />council of its May 2000 work session on parking. The council had agreed to a broader discussion <br />of parking issues following the completion of the downtown visioning project. Two work sessions <br />on the topic were scheduled, this evening's session and one of which would occur following the <br />council's work sessions on the downtown visioning report. <br /> <br />George Jessie, the City's Parking Administrator, presented information on parking revenues, <br />revenue trends, meter collection rates, long-term parking rates, and proposed capital projects <br />associated with the parking program. <br /> <br />Ms. Nathanson asked about the consequences of increasing parking rates and the potential for <br />the increases to spur drivers to park in the residential neighborhoods adjacent to downtown. She <br />asked if the City collected data regarding the impact on raising rates on the use of alternate <br />modes. Mr. Jessie said there had not been a lot of complaints from the residential neighborhoods <br />following rate increases. He was not aware of any data collection such as that mentioned by Ms. <br />Nathanson. <br /> <br />Ms. Nathanson suggested that raising rates was an action that could have unrelated multiple <br />objectives, such as encouraging ride sharing and alternate modes use for downtown employees, <br />while raising enough money to maintain parking facilities and increase the reserves. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner determined from Mr. Jessie that fines and forfeits were not net of the Municipal <br />Court's costs. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner said he was concerned that the City maintained a parking program downtown without <br />addressing parking issues outside downtown. He questioned why the private sector would bother <br />to build parking facilities when the City already provided parking. There was no incentive for <br />private construction. He called for limitations or regulations on surface parking outside of <br />downtown. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly agreed with Mr. Meisner regarding the subject of private parking construction. He said <br />that a developer shared with him that the private sector could build parking if the City instituted <br />some mechanisms to help. He noted that during the downtown visioning discussions, the subject <br />of a local improvement district downtown to finance such facilities was mentioned. Because of <br />the current discrepancy between the cost to build and market rates, it had been suggested that <br />the City seed a revolving loan fund to help in structure development. <br /> <br />Ms. Bettman said that before the City made a further investment in downtown, it needed to <br />address the subject of surface parking outside downtown. As long as the City continued to <br />facilitate unlimited free parking everywhere but downtown, revitalizing downtown would be a <br />challenge. She called for exploration of the concept of a parking tax on lots outside downtown. <br />Ms. Bettman said that the revenue stream from such a tax could help the City realize the vision in <br />the Greater Downtown Visioning report, and was a way to "level the playing field" for downtown. <br />She wanted to know if other communities were considering a parking tax and how those with them <br />implemented them. <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 17, 2001 Page 3 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />