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Home My Public Portal About20111214ParkingMinutes.doc CITY OF TYBEE ISLAND PARKING COMMITTEE MINUTES: December 14, 2011 ATTENDEES Council Committee representatives: Wanda Doyle, Bill Garbett, Council-elect Tom Groover Staff Committee representatives: Diane Schleicher, Mary Hogan, Chantel Morton, Pete Ryerson, Joe Wilson, Jennifer Wittendorf, Chief Bryson, Captain Moseley, Steele Knudson, Phyllis George, and Sharon Shaver CALL TO ORDER Bill called the meeting to order at 9:05am. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Wanda made a motion to approve the October 26, 2011 Tybee Island Parking Committee minutes. Bill seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. NEW BUSINESS: Set Date in 2012 for City Council Review of All Private Parking Business Licenses Diane stated that the staff has just reissued private parking licenses. There are a number of grandfathered parking business licenses. This past summer, City Council asked that all licenses be reviewed at one time, review site plans and any complaints. Wanda asked that the review be done the first meeting in February. Steele stated that it could be done by then. Wanda asked if staff would look at the information before the meeting. Diane advised that all the information would be gathered by staff and presented on a grid, and it would be determined whether a site plan is required or not, and gather information on any complaints. Steele asked if it was considered a Public Hearing and further stated that any time a site plan is presented, it is a public hearing. Mary stated that it is easy enough to put it in the paper as a Public Hearing. She recommended that Notice of the Hearing will be posted in the newspaper and posted in City Hall. Steele will take care of the newspaper posting. A letter will go to the neighbors as well as the parking license holders about the meeting. Diane recommended that this be an annual event, if council is satisfied with this plan. Mary asked if this was a good or a bad thing to have the meeting. Bill said it is a good thing as we need all the parking that we can get in the summer. Wanda said that it is good, until it gets in residential neighborhoods. A discussion ensued about a Master Plan for parking. Steele stated that a master plan could certainly be done. A discussion began about the possibility of a master parking plan. Bill asked that a master plan for parking be put on the Parking Committee agenda as a six months plan of action. Chantel asked if the private parking licensure information would come back to the committee to review before the February council meeting. Wanda stated that it did not need to come back before the committee. Bill introduced Tom Groover, City Council member-elect. Tom asked several questions about how this is paid for and made several suggestions. Diane suggested a regulatory fee be considered to cover costs. There was further discussion of this possibility. Bill then asked if this discussion could be postponed. Discussion Regarding the Proposal of Disbanding of the Parking Committee Bill explained that an email was sent by the Mayor asking which committees the new council members wanted to serve. In that email, he asked if the parking committee needed to continue. Bill said opinion was expressed by other council members that parking was such an integral part of our economy that the committee needed to continue at least another year. Perhaps not every month, but needed to continue. Wanda said that she is the one that suggested a parking committee. She doesn’t know if the committee has gone in the direction that she intended or not and perhaps the committee has gotten too involved with day to day operations. We have a very capable staff that can handle the day to day issues. She would like to see something done by the committee to get more parking on the North end. Wanda would like to see the parking committee continue and think about the direction it should move. Bill agreed. Steele discussed the North end parking and getting people there. Wanda explained that most of day trippers don’t spend money and may think that the South end is the only place to park. She also suggested signage about parking. Wanda said that here was a study done about a toll booth as well, and it needs to be found. Bill recommended that the committee continue, but look at long range parking situation rather that day to day operation. OLD BUSINESS: Review of Previously Discussed Parking Ordinances for Possible Recommendation to the City Council Bill asked if there were any comments on Ordinance No. 19-2010, SEC. 66-135, and Ordinance No. 22-2010, Sec. 66-138. Diane stated that Bubba indicated that the ordinances had been discussed, but never placed on the agenda. Bill asked that the committee look over the ordinances for red flags. Pete said that he noticed the right of way mentioned in the two ordinances from an enforcement point of view. Parking can’t make the decisions on telling people where to park as well as appease the neighbors. Everything else can be dealt with. Diane said that Section 66-138 is most critical and read a portion of that ordinance, as follows: Designation of individual parking spaces: The city manager or parking services director is authorized and directed to designate any individual parking spaces as it deems proper along the streets within the city limits for the parking of vehicles. At each place where individual parking spaces are so designated, each vehicle shall be parked entirely within an individual parking space. In order for a parking space to be designated, it shall not be necessary that it be curbed, marked, painted, or striped. Diane stated that it is important that we do a master plan. We need to get on a plan for neighborhood protection and prepare for the onslaught of visitors. It is a tough task. One of the problems is by Inlet and Lovell. We allow people to park in the grass. We used to have posts with meters. They were replaced with Pay and Display. The south end of Jones is another problem as it is too narrow and creates safety issues. Joe is putting signs everywhere for a temporary fix to problems. A master plan will help with this and be more efficient. The wording in the ordinance is significant. Wanda asked if these ordinances allowed parking along city right of ways even though they are not painted or marked. Pete advised that parking services protect private residences as best they can by ticketing. Wanda said if we had these ordinances Fourth of July weekend, we would have eliminated many the problems. Chantel asked if this ordinance solved the problem of spaces not being delineated. Wanda and Bill both said when something is written, it makes the practices legal. The Ordinances should go before Council. Tom asked how this prevented people from parking, for example, between 14th and 15th, paying for parking with a Pay and Display, and then moving their car to a residential area. Pete advised as long as they park on the right of way, it is legal. Bill said, technically, the Right of Way is the City property. A discussion began about the problem of visitors parking in neighborhoods and emphasis on the need for a Master Plan. Barry Brown emphasized need for control of parking in residential areas. Parking Update by Parking Staff Pete reported that they have been power washing and repainting the curbs in front of the Chapel. They are working on changing a couple of spots in front of Waves, two double spots on the left side to gain a few spaces. Joe stated that part of the DOT agreement was that the parking in front of 211 Butler was to be yellowed. Wanda agreed that the stipulation was that the spots were to be yellowed. Wanda inquired about the parking space and visibility of left hand turns in front of the shopping center where Sundae Café is located. Pete said that there is a double space there. He will yellow one out and put a meter there. Diane stated that there were two meters and a decision was made to leave the two spaces until we got feedback. Spaces have been there 20-30 years. Bill asked who decided if it was double or single spaces. Diane stated that the police department decides by the number of accidents. Bill stated that employees are always parked there. Joe said that the DOT rule is 30’ from apex of curb at an intersection. DOT allows us to designate parking on Hwy 80. Diane stated that every time there is new development or a new curb cut, there are new rules from DOT. Joe said that in the front of 211, the spaces cannot be taken back over. Any entrance driveway coming in to a DOT road requires a driveway permit. Mary stated that costs us $100,000 a year. Diane stated that we could get some money back by metering behind 211 on Lovell, by installing meters. Wanda said no meters on Third. The ground is solid behind 211 now for parking spaces. Bill made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 10:07am. Wanda seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. Prepared: January 10, 2012