PARKING ENFORCEMENT POLICY

RECOMMENDATION:

It is the recommendation of the Police Chief and the Community Services staff that Council:

1. Review the Parking Enforcement Policy Revision dated April 1, 1997.

1. Direct staff to implement any desired changes.

BACKGROUND:

City Council initially reviewed and accepted the Parking Enforcement Policy presented by staff at the July 25, 1995 council meeting.

Since that time, questions have been raised regarding Item #4:

Officers will be permitted to exercise the necessary discretion

to dismiss their own Notice of Parking Violations (NPV's) under the

following circumstances.

At issue are subsections -

a. In isolated incidents, where a driver or person responsible for the

vehicle has just gone into a store or business to get change,

returning immediately and deposits money in the meter. (1995)

b. If the driver of the vehicle pays the meter at the time the parking

violation is being written or before the officer completes the writing

of the parking violation. (Added 1995)

On April 1, 1997, Subsection a. was modified by staff to read:

1. When a driver or person responsible for the vehicle has just entered

a store or business to get change, returning immediately and deposits

money in the meter. (Officers have discretion to dismiss.)

The City Manager, Police Chief, and Community Services Division Commander have met with all the Parking Enforcement personnel regarding the city's Parking Enforcement Policy and other related issues. Staff recommends that the discretion to dismiss or not write a parking citation be left with the Parking Enforcement Officer within the policy guidelines currently enforced. Parking Enforcement Officers have been instructed to error on the side of the citizen parking their vehicle in order to create a positive, customer-friendly, image for our city shoppers.

Council may want to consider the following alternatives:

1. Leave the existing Parking Enforcement Policy as it stands.

1. Change Item #4 to read:

Notice of Parking violations will be dismissed if the owner of vehicle

is present to pay the meter or move the vehicle.

Alternative #2 will in effect allow persons to park for free until a Parking Enforcement Officer arrives to enforce paying the meter or moving the vehicle. This will have a cause and effect result on the percentages of parking revenue the city receives.

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