Laserfiche WebLink
City Council Minutes <br />October 8, 2007 <br />Page 4 <br />Councilmember Farber stated that the study was flawed from the beginning because of the <br />timing and because information was left out of the study. Councilmember Farber indicated <br />the study contains good recommendations and should be accepted but the city should <br />continue to conduct its own counts. He noted in accepting the study, he would like to <br />acknowledge that it is flawed. <br />Councilmember Gumphrey questioned if a firm would be hired to conduct the additional <br />traffic counts. Councilmember Farber indicated that he would like staff to conduct the <br />counts because he is not satisfied with the firm that conducted the parking study. <br />Councilmember Gumphrey agreed that staff should conduct the parking counts. <br />Councilmember Zerwas stated that he is in favor of accepting the study, specifically the <br />recommendations called for in the study, requesting that it be treated as a baseline and <br />reevaluated quarterly. He stated that during those quarterly reevaluations, he would like to <br />see parking data collected over a three day period. He noted that he also does not believe the <br />study is an accurate representation of what the future will be in downtown but he is not in <br />favor of accepting the entire study as flawed. <br />MOVED BY COUNCILMEMBER FARBER AND SECONDED BY <br />COUNCILMEMBER ZERWAS TO ACCEPT THE DOWNTOWN PARKING <br />STUDY BY CARL WALKER, INC. WITH ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS <br />SET FORTH IN THE STUDY; FOR THE STUDY TO BE TREATED AS A <br />BASELINE AND REEVALUATED QUARTERLY; FOR QUARTERLY <br />PARKING COUNTS TO BE CONDUCTED BY STAFF OVER A THREE DAY <br />PERIOD AND BROUGHT BACK TO THE COUNCIL; AND <br />ACKNOWLEDGING THE PARKING COUNT PORTION OF THE STUDY IS <br />INACCURATE. MOTION CARRIED 4-1. Councilmember Moon opposed. <br />Councilmember Motin noted that he did not vote in favor to accept the study because he <br />does not believe the language in the motion should include that the study is inaccurate. He <br />believes that the information is incorrect as it is expected to be in the future but is correct as <br />of the date the study was conducted. He explained that he does not believe the study can be <br />used as a marketing tool if the Council acknowledges it as inaccurate or flawed. <br />Ms. Johnson indicated that staff will come back to the Council with recommendations for <br />methodology on conducting and implementing parking counts. <br />Parking Permits <br />Chief of Police Jeffrey Beahen indicated that Public Works Director Terry Maurer, <br />Community Development Director Scott Clark, Street Superintendent Phil Hals, and he met <br />to discuss the parking permit process as it relates to the downtown businesses, specifically <br />the permitted uses of the King Avenue lot. Chief Beahen stated that the consensus of the <br />group was that they do not support putting employees, residential and visiting parking, and <br />customer parking all in the King Avenue lot. Chief Beahen reviewed issues relating to <br />permitting, signage, snow removal, safety, multiple uses in the lot, and enforcement as <br />outlined in his staff report. <br />Chief Beahen reviewed staffs recommendation as follows: <br />^ Employee parking -keep in the King Avenue parking lot with permits issued at a low or <br />nominal fee. These permits would be issued knowing that with approximately 156 <br />