PARKING BOARD
MINUTES
MARCH 5, 2007
1. CALL TO ORDER 4:31 p.m. by Mr. Spatafore
2. ROLL CALL Mr. Spatafore, Mr. Caggiano, Mr. Needham and Ms. Hensley and Parking Director James Hacker. Also present were City Councilors O’Leary and Sosnowski.
3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Mr. Caggiano made a motion to approve the minutes of February 5, 2007. Mr. Needham seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion so carried.
4. REPORT OF BOARD MEMBERS
There were no reports from Board members.
5. INFORMATION & CORRESPONDENCE
Mr. Hacker stated that he had not yet received the revenue figures through February, 2007
Mr. Hacker stated that he received a request for free parking on Sunday, June 24, 2007 for the North Shore Medical Center’s Cancer Walk from 7am to noon. Mr. Hacker stated that this request has been approved in the past and added that it will not effect revenue, because the streets will be closed anyway. He suggested having free parking until 3:00 pm. Ms. Hensley made a motion to approve free parking on 6/24/07 from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Mr. Caggiano seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion so carried.
Mr. Hacker stated that he submitted a budget proposal to the Mayor.
Mr. Needham noted that he received a couple of outside comments on how clean the garage is.
6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Review of August 2, 2005 Council submission on 14 items continued from prior meeting:
Mr. Hacker stated that, at the last meeting, approved a recommendation that the Salem Police Department take over the parking sticker duties from the City Clerk. Mr. Hacker suggested that the Board reconsider the recommendation and not tell the City Council who specifically should be responsible as this would require that the named department take on additional responsibilities and costs.
Mr. Caggiano stated that he felt it was safe to say that the City Clerk is not the appropriate office to enforcing the program.
Councillor Sosnowski stated that he would like the Board’s opinion, so that he can prepare an ordinance. He stated that he was not asking the Board to overstep is bounds, but would like their opinion on how to fix the parking sticker system and would like to see it out of the City Clerk’s office.
Mr. Caggiano stated that the only other options are the Police or Parking Departments.
Councillor Sosnowski stated that there could also be a separate office, but noted that he did not want to create more bureaucracy.
Mr. Caggiano stated he was willing to amend his motion not to specify a department, but to suggest it come out of the City Clerk’s office.
Councillor Sosnowski suggested waiting until the program is redesigned and address the “what” before addressing the “whom”.
Councillor O’Leary stated that he felt it should be under the Parking or Police Departments. He also added that issuing temporary parking tickets for two weeks during Halloween is not part of the City Clerk’s job.
Mr. Hacker noted that the City Clerk prints them, but the Parking Department issues them. He noted that the Parking Department would not be able to handle the resident parking sticker program at this time.
Mr. Caggiano made a motion to change the recommendation that the parking sticker program be moved from the City Clerk’s office to the Salem Police Department so that the recommendation is that the parking sticker program be moved out of the City Clerk’s office, with no specific department recommended to run the program. There was no second.
Councillor Sosnowksi stated that only the Police would have access to vehicle registration, so it the sticker is tied to a registration, it is best to be run from the Police Department.
Mr. Hacker stated that proof of residency and vehicle registration would be required when applying for a sticker. He noted that the problem will be for a student residing temporarily in Salem.
Councillor Sosnowski stated that visitor passes are also abused, noting that they are supposed to be for two weeks, yet a year later they are still being used. The visitor pass should have information on who the pass was initially issued to.
Mr. Hacker noted that the Police Department’s only issue will be what law requires them to enforce the resident sticker parking.
Mr. Caggiano made a motion to rescind the recommendation that the parking sticker program be moved from the City Clerk’s office to the Salem Police Department. Ms. Hensley seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion so carried.
Ms. Hensley stated that visitor passes should indicate the zone they are associated with, so that they are not used all over the city.
Mr. Hacker stated that the program currently provides a holder of a resident sticker to be entitled to two visitor passes. Therefore, a household of two cars could have four passes. He noted that putting a date on the visitor pass is hard to enforce. He noted that if they were made a certain color, the color could expire at a specific time. He noted that it is a difficult political situation.
Mr. Caggiano wondered how Cambridge’s program works.
Mr. Hacker stated that the problem is enforcement.
Councillor Sosnowski stated that he felt the visitor pass should have an address associated with it.
Mr. Hacker stated that there would need to be an ordinance approved in order to have the passes show distance or zone. He stated that there is nothing to prevent downtown workers from using passes. He stated that there are also problems at Salem State. He noted that visitor passes will be desirable to constituents whose elderly mother wants to visit her son, etc.
Councillor Sosnowski suggested two passes per unit address or eliminating the visitor passes altogether. He noted that if a resident is having a party, they could just call the Police Department and inform them prior so that the resident stickers are not enforced during the time of the party.
Mr. Caggiano made a motion to keep the recommendation made in the 8/2/05 recommendation letter concerning construction worker passes. Ms. Hensley seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion so carried.
Mr. Caggiano made a motion to keep the recommendation made in the 8/2/05 recommendation letter concerning two hour lots. Ms. Hensley seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion so carried.
Mr. Caggiano made a motion to keep the recommendation made in the 8/2/05 recommendation letter concerning downtown resident passes. Ms. Hensley seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion so carried.
Councillor Sosnowski stated that he is considering an ordinance that all developments create two parking spaces per unit, regardless of the zoning. He felt that the city is having an over-development problem, citing parking problems with the Crombie Street condominium units.
Councillor Sosnowski stated that the Chamber of Commerce is concerned that changing the meter rate would discourage shoppers and noted that by increasing the violation fines it will accomplish the end result of getting the meter-feeders out.
Councillor O’Leary stated that he felt the meter rates were too low.
Mr. Caggiano made a motion to increase the meter rates from $.25 per hour to $.25 per half hour. There was no second.
Mr. Caggiano made a motion for the meters to only take quarters, not dimes nor nickels. There was not second.
Mr. Caggiano stated that Winer Brothers has a sign on their door that says “Parking on us” and that they will provide the $.25.
Councillor Sosnowski suggested inviting the Chamber for their feedback.
Mr. Caggiano suggested that Ms. Hensley, as the Chamber representative, get their comments and report back.
Mr. Caggiano made a motion to keep the recommendation made in the 8/2/05 recommendation letter concerning increasing the meter maximum time to two hours, except where noted as per the parking director. Ms. Hensley seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion so carried.
Mr. Caggiano made a motion to recommend that Riley Plaza be metered with short, medium and long term parking.
Mr. Hacker suggested leaving the current recommendation from the 8/2/05 recommendation letter that suggests the option for either meters or play and display.
Councillor Sosnowski suggested that the ward councilor be asked to put in an order.
Mr. Caggiano withdrew his motion.
Mr. Caggiano made a motion to keep all other general recommendations as is in the 8/2/05 recommendation letter. Mr. Needham seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion so carried.
7. NEW BUSINESS/VISITORS
Councillor Sosnowski stated that for some seniors it is too far to get to the garage from the Morency and Dalton Buildings, or they cannot afford to park there. He suggested the Board consider designating some spaces for one year in the metered section of the Church Street lot, as close to Federal and St. Peter as possible, for senior residents to park for a fee. This will help replace some of the spaces being lost at the former jail site and until 10 Federal Street spaced become available.
Mr. Caggiano suggested taking a look at the area when the members take a walk around the city.
Ms. Hensley suggested that the Councillor talk to St. John’s Church as well.
Mr. Caggiano made a motion for the May 7th meeting to be designated for a brief walk around the downtown. Ms. Hensley seconded the motion.
Ms. Guy noted that there may be difficulties in doing so, in that the walk through would have to be posted, minutes taken and the public allowed to participate.
Ms. Hensley withdrew her second. Mr. Caggiano withdrew his motion.
8. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting will be April 2, 2007. Ms. Guy noted that she will not be present for the meeting, but will transcribe the minutes from notes provided to her.
9. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Ms. Hensley made a motion to adjourn. Mr. Needham seconded the motion, all were in favor and the motion so carried. The meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Jane A. Guy
Secretary
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