City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council (1) approve a Parking Program for certain Culver
City employees in the Public Works Department and Transportation Department;
(2) receive information regarding the concurrent creation of 25 new parking spaces
on the prolongation of Duquesne Avenue in Culver City Park; (3) provide direction to
Staff regarding the proposed future installation of parking meters in Culver City Park;
and (4) adopt a resolution establishing specific parking meter locations and
rescinding Resolution No. 2014-R041, which Resolution rescinds authorization to
install parking meters on the area adjacent to the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook
(BHSO) State Park.
BACKGROUND:
On August 12, 2013, the City Council authorized the installation of parking meters on
Jefferson Boulevard, between Overland Avenue and the City boundary to the east,
but excluded the residential developments on the south side of Jefferson Boulevard
(between Overland Avenue and the eastern terminus of Raintree Condominiums).
As authorized by the City Council, the great majority of the meters on Jefferson
Boulevard will be 10-hour limited-parking, at the rate of $0.25 per hour. The
Meeting Date: 09/08/2014 Item Number: A-4
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: (1) Approval of a Parking Program for Certain
Culver City Employees in the Public Works Department and Transportation
Department; (2) Information Regarding the Concurrent Creation of 25 New Parking
Spaces on the Prolongation of Duquesne Avenue in Culver City Park; (3) Direction
Regarding the Proposed Future Installation of Parking Meters in Culver City Park;
and (4) Rescission of Parking Meter Installation on the Area Adjacent to the
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook (BHSO) State Park, by Adoption of a Resolution
Establishing Specific Parking Meter Locations and Rescinding Resolution No.
2014-R041.
Contact Person/Dept.: Gabe Garcia/PW Phone Number: (310) 253-5633
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: [X]
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date: ________________
Public Notification: (Email) Agenda and Meetings – City Council (09/03/14); (Mail)
Business Owners and Residents immediately adjacent to Jefferson Boulevard, between
Overland Avenue and the City Boundary to the east at the Baldwin Hills Scenic
Overlook State Park.
Department Approval:
Charles Herbertson (08/29/14)
City Attorney Approval:
Carol Schwab (by H. Baker) (09/03/14)
Chief Financial Officer Approval:
Jeff Muir (by M. Noller) (09/03/14)
City Manager Approval:
John M. Nachbar (09/03/14) City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
exceptions are the meters authorized for the adjacency of the BHSO, which would
be 2-hour limited-parking, at the rate of $1 per hour. (Note: Based upon
observations in the field, Staff will propose the City Council rescind the BHSO
parking meters installation approval.)
The status of the meter installation on Jefferson Boulevard was provided as part of a
City Council report on Monday, May 27, 2014. The status indicated:
“For several months, staff worked to acquire the parking meter equipment from
the authorized vendors and to obtain bids for parking meter post installations.
Eventually the City and the contractor entered into an agreement, and the
required parking meter posts were installed.
While these posts were being installed, a member of the business community
raised concerns over the potential of City staff utilizing some of these metered
spaces. This issue continues to be explored and will be the subject of a separate
staff report to be presented to the City Council in the near future.”
This staff report will offer a proposed solution to the concerns raised by a member of
the business community if City employees compete for the parking supply on
Jefferson Boulevard and in Culver City Park.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed Employee Parking Program (EPP) is intended only for certain Culver
City employees who do not have an assigned parking space at any City facility
because of lack of available parking spaces. All of the employees, both current and
projected in the future, who would be part of the EPP are currently parking on public
streets.
The EPP would serve approximately 60 employees of the Transportation
Department (across three shifts covering 21 hours per day) and approximately 40
employees of the Public Works Department Environmental Programs & Operations
(EPO) Division (also across three shifts covering approximately 18 hours per work
day). The table below projects the approximate highest level of need scenario:
1
ST
SHIFT 2
ND
SHIFT 3
RD
SHIFT
Public Works Department 5 15 20
Transportation Department 20 20 20
Total Estimated Spaces
Needed
25 35 40
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
The City’s Transportation Building and Public Works Sanitation Transfer Station on
Jefferson Boulevard are approximately 1,700 feet apart. As a result, the employees
from each facility park in different areas on Jefferson Boulevard, thereby, dividing
the parking demand as well as the impact to the adjacent parking supply.
Creation of Parking in Culver City Park
On the prolongation of Duquesne Avenue in Culver City Park, on the northbound
side of the roadway, south of Jefferson Boulevard, approximately 25 new parking
spaces can be created. This would be a significant augmentation to the parking
supply in the vicinity. Creation of these new parking spaces would more than offset
the Transportation Department’s employees parking needs (in fact, there is a
projected net gain of five parking spaces).
With the exception of six employees who have on-site parking spaces,
approximately a total 40 employees across three shifts between 3:30 am to 5:30 pm,
do not have an assigned parking space. They currently park on Jefferson Boulevard
and in the Fire Training Facility. Therefore, these employees who park at the
eastern end of Jefferson Boulevard do not constitute a new demand to the existing
parking supply.
When parking meters are installed on the previously-approved segments of
Jefferson Boulevard, a personalized Smart Card would be issued to each
participating City employee. The use of these cards can be tracked to ensure proper
use. A departmental policy would be developed and implemented that articulates
qualifications, privileges, and responsibilities of employees who are issued such
cards.
The cards are not “cash keys” in that they do not need to be loaded with any cash
amount. It is a smart card that will identify the employee and record the meter being
used, the duration of use, as well as the days of use. Because these smart cards
are activated within the management software for the parking meter system, they
can be disabled in case of inappropriate use or loss.
It is proposed that not all meters on Jefferson Boulevard would accept the smart
cards, thereby limiting the area of impact to the most adjacent areas to the City
facility. It is also proposed that these meters will not be reserved –use of all meters
will be available to any member of the public on a first-come first-served basis. For
this reason, it is proposed that the number of meters that could accept the smart
card be greater than the number of cards issued. Those meters that accept the card
will be marked on the meter housing or post, so that they can be identified by
participating City employees.
City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
Because of the additional parking supply being added, and the desirable relocation
of City employees out of the residential neighborhood to the north of Jefferson
Boulevard, Staff recommends that that the City Council approve the Employee
Parking Program for the employees indicated.
Proposed Installation of Parking Meters in Culver City Park
All parking spaces in Culver City Park near Jefferson Boulevard are used as
overflow employee parking by the adjacent business community from Monday
through Friday. Based upon staff observations, parking demand for visitors to the
Park is relatively low Monday through Friday. Currently, all parking spaces are
posted for 2 hour parking.
Recognizing that long-term employee parking is needed in the area, Staff proposes
that some of the parking spaces in the park be metered with 10-hour meters at the
rate of $0.25 per hour. The other spaces would remain 2 hour time limited parking
for Park visitors.
In addition, Staff proposes that the parking spaces intended for turn-over adjacent to
the playground area and the Dog Park be metered so that parking enforcement can
occur upon identification of a violation displayed by the meter, yet that park visitors
not be required to pay for 2 hours of parking, as described below.
1. When a vehicle parks in the space, a sensor automatically sets the meter
timing to 2-hours. The meter would not need to be fed. Employees of nearby
businesses could park in such spaces, but it is anticipated that such use
would be limited because of the inconvenience of needing to relocate the
vehicle after 2 hours and the possibility of being issued a parking citation.
2. Upon expiration of the 2 free hours, the meter would not accept payment to
extend the time. The meter will flash red LED lights, indicating that the
parked vehicle is in violation. The vehicle is then subject to citation.
3. If a visitor desires to stay longer than 2 hours, it would require relocating their
vehicle to another parking space. Such a visitor may park at a 10-hour meter,
thereby potentially displacing a local business employee’s vehicle. However,
because Park visitor demand is low during the work week, and because the
10-hour meters may not be as conveniently located for park visitors, this will
most likely be kept to a minimum. Employee Smart Cards would not be valid
at these meters.
If the City Council supports the installation of proposed parking meters in Culver City
Park, Staff proposes that the revenue collected by these meters be used to fund City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
projects that are specific to the City’s parks. The existing provisions of Culver City
Municipal Code Section 7.03.550, which sets forth the allowable purposes for which
parking meter funds can be used, would need to be amended to encompass this
use.
The recommendations in this section have been discussed with and are supported
by the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department.
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook Parking
The parking meters approved to be installed adjacent to the Baldwin Hills Scenic
Overlook are intended to discourage mid-block pedestrian crossings and other
undesirable pedestrian behavior. Staff has observed that the area near the
Overlook has experienced a positive change to pedestrian behavior since the
installation of the traffic signal, marked crosswalk, and the sidewalk improvements
(including pedestrians legally crossing at the marked, signal-controlled crosswalk). It
has been Staff’s observations over the last year, that pedestrians have consistently
used the marked crosswalk. In addition, there is concern that if meters are installed
at this location it could result in parking intrusion in the Blair Hills neighborhood,
especially if a connection to the park trail system is created at the new County Park
planned for Stoneview Drive. Therefore, Staff recommends the City Council rescind
authorization of the approval of installation of parking meters adjacent to the BHSO
State Park, by adopting the proposed Resolution (Attachment 1).
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
The striping of parking tees, painting of curbs, and installation of parking signs to
create the new parking spaces and the cost for the Culver City Employees Smart
Cards can be funded by the current Public Works/Maintenance Operations Division
budget.
Rescinding the installation of parking meters on the adjacency to the BHSO State
Park would result in a one-time savings of $22,672.88 since parking meters would
not need to be purchased or installed at this location. However, the City will also not
receive revenue that would have been generated by these meters. Staff estimates
that approximately $43,680 per year would be generated at this location (based on
each of 30 parking spaces being utilized 4 hours per day).
If the City Council gives direction to Staff to proceed with the implementation of
parking meters and parking meter sensors at 2-hour meters in Culver City Park,
Staff will return at a future City Council meeting to present a proposed resolution and
request funding for such improvements. City of Culver City, California
Agenda Item Report
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Proposed Resolution
MOTIONS:
That the City Council:
1. Approve a Parking Program for certain Culver City employees in the Public
Works Department and Transportation Department as described in the staff
report; and,
2. Provide direction regarding the installation of parking meters in Culver City Park.
3. Adopt a Resolution rescinding parking meter Installation on the area adjacent to
the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook State Park.
MEETING DATE: 09/08/14
AGENDA ITEM: (1) Authorization of a Parking Program for Certain Culver City
Employees in the Public Works Department and
Transportation Department; (2) Information Regarding the
Concurrent Creation of 25 New Parking Spaces on the
Prolongation of Duquesne Avenue in Culver City Park; (3)
Direction Regarding the Proposed Future Installation of
Parking Meters in Culver City Park; and (4) Rescission of
Parking Meter Installation on the Area Adjacent to the
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook (BHSO) State Park, by
Adoption of a Resolution Establishing Specific Parking Meter
Locations and Rescinding Resolution No. 2014-R041.
ATTACHMENT
Page
1
Proposed Resolution
1-8