Parking Commission - May 30, 2019 Minutes
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Parking Commissioners of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held in the Commission Chambers at City Hall at 9:00 a.m., Thursday, May 30, 2019.
The Parking Commissioners present or absent were as follows:
Present: Chairperson Mike Williams, Margie Bailly, Brian Hayer, Randy Thorson, Jay Krabbenhoft
Absent: None
Chairperson Williams called the meeting to order.
Item 1: Approve Order of Agenda
Member Bailly moved the Order of Agenda be approved as presented. Second by Member Hayer. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 2: Minutes: Regular Meeting of April 25, 2019
Member Thorson moved the minutes of the April 25, 2019 Parking Commission meeting be approved. Second by Member Bailly. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 3: Interstate Report/Financial Data
Paul Schnettler, Interstate Parking (IP), presented the April 2019 financial and operation reports, noting posting errors in the financial report that need to be corrected. He gave an update regarding spring cleaning and maintenance in the downtown parking facilities.
Mr. Schnettler talked about recent activity at ROCO Ramp that involved contacting the police, with no damage found. This generated Board discussion concerning camera coverage at doors and stairwells not being monitored. Mr. Schnettler explained IP’s cameras monitor only the parking related activity, but their security system could be tied into these areas not under their management contract if requested.
Further discussion ensued including the following: clarification of maintenance responsibility for areas not under IP’s management; provide more detailed information in future reports regarding the financial statistics reported by the City’s PASSPORT System; and reasons for the fluctuation of revenue for specific lots due to changes in customer parking in the downtown area.
Item 4: Financial Report of Parking Funds
Director of Strategic Planning and Research Jim Gilmour stated he did not have additional information to report at this time.
Item 5: Update on Downtown Projects
a. Block 9
Mr. Gilmour said he recently toured the Block 9 Parking Garage noting it is on schedule. He offered to coordinate a tour of the garage for any Board members interested prior to the estimated completion date in August 2019.
b. Mercantile design/timeline
Mr. Gilmour provided updates on this project stating upon City Commission approval, City Attorney Erik Johnson is drafting the development agreement. He stated this will be presented at the June Parking Commission meeting, along with financing options prepared by Baker Tilly Municipal Advisors.
Mr. Gilmour also shared the following:
- He met with the owners of the Northern Apartment Building and Great Northern Cycles to coordinate this development with their properties.
- Interest has been expressed from the Fargo Police Department and Interstate Parking to be tenants on the 4th Avenue side of this building.
- He referred to the schematic design page included in the packet that will be reviewed by Kilbourne Group and the City of Fargo.
Item 6: Discuss Uniform Night Time Parking Enforcement
Chairperson Williams noted Planning Director Nicole Crutchfield has added a request to the budget for funding to provide this enforcement in the downtown area.
The Board reviewed discussion from last month’s meeting regarding this item.
Melissa Rademacher, President of the Downtown Community Partnership (DCP), said after conversations with City staff, a survey is being created to collect data from downtown residents and business owners. She stated the survey should be sent out next week, and the results will be shared with the Board.
Item 7: Consideration for Signage Changes at Island Park Ramp
Aaron Templin, downtown business owner and resident, spoke about an email he sent to staff regarding parking spaces available in this ramp, that he felt could be utilized to help with parking issues during construction in the downtown area. He also noted existing signage does not provide a clear understanding of this lot being available for public use.
Mr. Gilmour and Mr. Schnettler talked about reviewing existing policy and the current monthly parking fees for this ramp; removing the existing gates; providing hanging tags for the monthly parking customers; utilizing digital machines that are currently in storage; and updating the signage.
Discussion began regarding what changes can be made immediately; further review of any fee changes to maintain the current revenue for this ramp; and other ways to accommodate people visiting downtown to reach the businesses during construction periods.
Mr. Gilmour recommended to proceed with installation of the pay stations, update the existing signage, offer the first two-hours of parking free, and further review to determine if any other modifications need to be made.
Member Hayer moved to approve the recommendation. Second by Member Bailly. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 8: Other Business
Mr. Gilmour added updates on the following items:
- The City has made an agreement with the banks to purchase the land under the Island Park Ramp.
- The City’s Information Services (IS) Department is reviewing plans to upgrade the cameras at the Civic Ramp and Island Park Ramp, which will open for bidding this summer.
- The City has hired a facilities manager whose role could help with the maintenance for the City-owned parking facilities.
Member Bailly moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:58 a.m. Second by Member Thorson. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.