Title:
Title
(Pass for Publication) Ordinance Amending Sacramento City Code Sections 10.04.010 and 10.40.070 Relating to Definition of Legal Holidays
End
FileID
File ID: 2018-01525
Location
Location: Citywide
Recommendation:
Recommendation
1) Review an Ordinance amending the definition of “legal holidays” in Section 10.04.010 of the Sacramento City Code to add more holidays when parking meter exemptions are provided under Section 10.40.070 of the Sacramento City Code; and 2) pass for publication the ordinance title per Sacramento City Charter Article III, section 32(c) for adoption on December 11, 2018.
Contact: Erika Galang, Program Specialist (916) 808-8572; Matt Eierman, Parking Services Manager (916) 808-5849; Department of Public Works
Body
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Holiday Comparison
3-Ordinance (Redline)
4-Ordinance (Clean)
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: Sacramento City Code Section 10.40.070 dictates the operating days and hours of parking meters and pay stations. The current language of this section provides that meters shall not require payment on holidays. The term “legal holidays” is currently defined in Section 10.04.010 of the Sacramento City Code as the following: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and all Sundays.
The following holidays are federal or City-observed holidays that are not defined in Section 10.04.010 as “legal holidays” when meter payment exemptions are provided under Section 10.40.070 of the Sacramento City Code:
• Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday (Federal and City): Third Monday of January
• Washington’s Birthday (Federal) or President’s Day (City): Third Monday of February
• Cesar Chavez’s Birthday (City): Last Monday of March
• Veterans Day (Federal and City): November 11th
Staff recommends that the definition of “legal holidays” in Section 10.04.010 be amended to include the above-mentioned four holidays, which will provide meter payment exemptions on those dates.
Policy Considerations: There are currently six holidays and 52 Sundays a year when meter payment exemptions are provided. The City also offers an additional 32 consecutive days of meter payment exemptions each year during its Free Holiday Parking program, which starts the day after Thanksgiving and extends through Christmas Eve, at 1,761 select parking spaces within the Central City. The combination of legal holidays and the Free Holiday Parking program currently results in meter payment exemptions for up to 25% of the calendar year. Free meter holidays exempt motorists from meter payments and citations related to meter violations. All other parking regulations not related to meters are enforced and parking citations are issued for those other regulations accordingly.
Economic Impacts: Under Sacramento City Code section 10.40.130, meter revenues must be used for the proper regulation and control of traffic upon the public streets, to provide for public vehicular off-street parking facilities and to cover the cost of the supervision, inspection, installation, maintenance, control and use of the parking spaces and regulating parking of vehicles in the parking meter zones. Any loss of meter revenues may impact the funding available to provide those services.
Environmental Considerations:
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): This ordinance change is an administrative activity that is not considered a project pursuant to Section 15378(b)(2) of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines. Therefore, no environmental review is required.
Sustainability: Not applicable
Commission/Committee Action: The Law & Legislation Committee reviewed this item on November 13, 2018, and recommended forwarding to City Council for action.
Rationale for Recommendation: Sacramento City Code Section 10.40.070 allows meter payment exemptions on holidays. The definition of those holidays is based on specific days identified under Section 10.04.010 of the Sacramento City Code, which does not include all federal and City holidays.
Parking staff received direction to research the impact of exempting meter payments on additional holidays not currently reflected in Section 10.04.010 of the Sacramento City Code and to present its findings for consideration.
Financial Considerations: Revenues collected from parking meters are deposited into the General Fund (Fund 1001). The addition of more holidays to the list of “legal holidays” under Section 10.04.010 of the Sacramento City Code may cause a decrease of potential parking meter revenue to the General Fund at an average of $21,000 to $34,000 per holiday based on a two-year average of parking meter revenue generated on those specific days.
If four additional meter holidays are added, this may cause a decrease of potential parking meter revenue to the General Fund of approximately $109,000 per year based on a two-year average of parking meter revenue generated on those specific days.
Additionally, the General Fund may be further impacted by an average annual loss of approximately $30,000 in meter-related parking citations, based on a two-year average of meter citation revenue generated on those specific holidays.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable