To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): General Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Caroline Judy, 707-565-8058
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): All
Title:
Title
Amendment to County Property Parking Ordinance (Adoption)
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt an ordinance to amend Sonoma County Code Section 18-1 of the County Code to revise parking restrictions, enable certain regulations, and update certain provisions of 18-1 as part of updating County parking plan options.
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Executive Summary:
General Services has been responsible for the management of parking enforcement at certain County properties since 1987. Parking enforcement was established to promote public access to services, ensure efficient operations and staff parking for County departments, and to regulate and discourage behaviors that contribute to the abuse of parking privileges. The County Government Center (“CGC”) campus currently accommodates parking for employees of the County, Superior Court judges, employees and jurors, as well as members of the public accessing government services. A total of 2,749 surface parking stalls exist at the CGC, with approximately 392 available for the public. Certain parking spaces are designated for motorcycles, carpools, loading zones, accessible access, timed use, electric vehicle charging, and law enforcement, among other restricted uses. The County’s Parking Ordinance ensures that all these necessary restrictions are maintained, in addition to ensuring public and employee access.
As previously reported to your Board, the new Sonoma County Courthouse will permanently displace 522 of those parking stalls, leaving a remaining 2,227 parking spaces available. The County will simultaneously lose an additional 99 parking spaces for twenty-four months due to the construction of the Behavioral Health Housing Unit. To best accommodate these new circumstances and meet parking needs, a revised County parking plan is needed. To enable the fullest range of options for that revised plan, Section 18-1 of the Sonoma County Code needs to be amended, to include among other things the ability to designate general employee parking areas, including on a per-department basis.
On February 26, 2019 the Board of Supervisors approved multiple recommendations relating to parking on the CGC in order to provide sufficient parking for employees and the public as a result of displacement due to the construction of the new Courthouse. To provide for parking regulation options for maximizing future parking arrangements under the contemplated new County Center Parking Plan, the General Services Department is proposing certain amendments to the Parking Ordinance. Board approval of the recommended Parking Ordinance changes will ensure that public and employee parking needs are met and that enforcement is aligned with the new parking lot plans. The proposed amendments also update the Parking Ordinance to reflect current conditions, correct outdated provisions, and incorporate legal and enforcement requirements.
Discussion:
Among other things, this recommended amendment to Sonoma County Code Section 18-1 (“Regulation of Traffic on County-owned and Controlled Property”) enables assignment of designated employee-only parking and establishment of overflow employee-only parking areas. While specifics of assigned areas and other particulars would be contained in and implemented via the actual County parking plan for the CGC, the proposed amendments would codify the ability of the Director of General Services to designate employee-only assigned areas and institute per-department employee areas as a “tool” for accommodating parking needs. Additional changes in the proposed amendment would expressly add the Veterans Memorial Buildings parking lots as areas covered by Section 18-1 and remove out-of-date language and other clean-ups since the regulations were last revised in 2013.
General Services has been working on a revision to the CGC parking plan, with proposals regarding parking assignments and other measures to accommodate for the spaces lost due to the new State Courthouse construction. The proposals provide each department with assigned parking areas proximate to their building, and employees will receive color-coded parking hang tags corresponding to their designated area. The Draft Parking Plan diagram is attached as Attachment C - Assigned Department Parking Map. The plan remains a draft and will be finalized once current efforts with all stakeholders are complete.
These proposed changes primarily affect the County Government Center, while also applying to the County Airport, County Parks, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, and the Sonoma County Veterans Memorial Buildings parking lots.
Recent statutory changes and other legal developments regarding parking enforcement measures, such as chalk marking tires and restrictions on towing, would be reflected in the proposed amendments. Staff also are evaluating parking enforcement alternatives used by other jurisdictions including apps and parking kiosks, and will return to the Board with proposed solutions.
Prior Board Actions:
6/4/19 - Adopt a Resolution introducing, reading the title of and waiving further reading of a proposed ordinance to amend Sonoma County Code Section 18-1 to revise parking restrictions, enable certain regulations, and update certain provisions of 18-1 as part of updating County parking plan options
1/29/13 - Adopt a Resolution introducing, reading the title of and waiving further reading of a proposed ordinance to amend Article 1, Section 18-1 and Articles II, III and IV of the County Code to revise parking requirements
8/4/09 - Approved Resolution No. 09-0709, amending the schedule of parking fines and penalties
9/14/93 - Adoption of Ordinance No. 4717 Repealing and Reenacting Section 18-1 of the Sonoma County Code
Fiscal Summary
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
There are no fiscal impacts in the proposed amendments to Sonoma County Code Section 18-1. Funds for capital improvements to existing parking areas were approved by the Board in FY 18-19.
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
There are no staffing impacts in the proposed amendments to Sonoma County Municipal Code Section 18-1.
Attachments:
Attachment A: General Services Parking Ordinance Amendment
Attachment B: General Services Parking Ordinance Amendment with Underline Strikeout
Attachment C: Assigned Department Parking Map
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None