a report from Councillor Dennis J. Carlone and Councillor Craig A. Kelley, Co-Chairs of the Ordinance Committee, for a public hearing held on July 23, 2018 to discuss a proposed amendment to the Municipal Code in Chapter 10.17 entitled “Vehicle Trip Reduction Ordinance” in section 10.17.070 entitled “Fees for Residential Parking Stickers.”

AFTACHMENTA ORDINANCE COMMITTEE 23 JULY 2018 I certainly hope that the Council will remember and consider my earlier suggestions to suspend the annual Resident Parking Sticker renewal process. The annual renewal is an unnecessary nuisance that loses money to generate lots of hassle and last minute panic without any benefit. Parking Control Officers are able to validate pay-by-app meter users instantly. Their handheld scanners can even check a Massachusetts inspection sticker. The resident sticker database- updated with every new issue- can be easily accommodated. There's simply no need to renew. We need some hard numbers from Traffic & Parking from the most recent calendar or fiscal year. Total stickers issued. Number of first timers. Non-revenue freebies. Renewals of one, two, three years then ten or even more years. The tidal flow of short term residents corresponds directly to our University cycles and when they're done they're pretty much gone. Contrary to some claims, sticker fees are used outside the department. $200,000 this year; see budget pages VI-3 and -37. Until a few years ago the City Manager's annual report included a breakdown by category of parking tickets written. Violations for Resident Parking showed a clear downward trend. People have got the message, Councillors, and mandatory renewals aren't solving any problems. Obviously, the rush for new stickers happens in the next five or six weeks. Those people will pay $25 now plus another $25 just four months from now. I propose that new issues be raised to $50, a fee that generates plenty of revenue, and the renewal requirement dropped altogether. I contend that the City will actually profit in doing so. Create a provisional sticker for the first couple of years if it makes you comfortable. You're all expecting something inflammatory from me and I won't disappoint. This meeting is conducted as business of the "Vehicle Trip Reduction Ordinance" and should be directed primarily at reducing traffic, not jacking up fees. It is totally unfair to demand more money from residents while ignoring the huge potential of fairly collecting market rate for the large number of reserved spaces enjoyed exclusively by city. employees. Those twenty or so spaces at City Hall Annex are worth $1500 annually apiece and the users, not taxpayers, should ante up. Worse, residents and visitors can't park nearby because blue plated marked City vehicles steal resident on street parking plus significant meter revenue.. Are you guys sincere about the Ordinance? Three actions at Traffic & Parking should follow this meeting. First, the department will cease directing owners to place stickers on the windshield dangerously. Second, barcodes will be printed on the outside, and third all new sticker issues will include a voter registration form. The Elections Department has plenty of surplus labor to staff the windows. GARY MELLO Franklin Street