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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018 01-22 CCM Work SessionMINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA WORK SESSION JANUARY 22, 2018 CITY HALL — COUNCIL CHAMBERS CALL TO ORDER The Brooklyn Center City Council/Economic Development Authority (EDA) met in Work Session called to order by Mayor/President Tim Willson at 7:59 p.m. ROLL CALL Mayor/President Tim Willson and Councilmembers/Commissioners Marquita Butler, April Graves, Kris Lawrence -Anderson, and Dan Ryan. City Manager Curt Boganey, Deputy City Manager Reggie Edwards, Director of Public Works Doran Cote, Police Chief Tim Gannon, City Attorney Troy Gilchrist, and Carla Wirth, TimeSaver Off Site Secretarial, Inc. OVERNIGHT PARKING Police Chief Tim Gammon introduced the item and explained staff is seeking direction pertaining to on -street parking and the duration vehicles are allowed to be parked on public streets. He provided a PowerPoint presentation detailing State Statute parking enforcement, City Ordinance relating to parking enforcement, variety of channels for parking complaints, number of parking complaint calls from 2013 (1,386) to 2018 (1,175), total parking citations issued from 2013 (996) to 2017 (3,191), average number of parking citations by month from 2013 to 2017, process to receive a parking exception permit, areas of parking ban, neighboring city's consecutive time limits, challenges and benefits of year -around overnight parking, and feedback from Building and Community Standards and Public Works. It was noted the City restricts parking on any public right-of-way to six hours or less. The City also prohibits all on -street parking from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. year -around. All street parking enforcement is conducted by the Police Department and the complaints from citizens are consistently worded that if the City has an ordinance for overnight parking, then it needs to enforce the ordinance. Chief Gannon presented ordinance proposal Option 1 to make no change to the ordinance including police enforcement. He stated police enforcement occurs during the time when the fewest number of staff are on duty, it is highly likely that vehicles will not be tagged nightly, enforcement is focused on high complaint areas only (which is inequitable at best), and this option will facilitate continued sporadic complaints and criticism of City staff by citizens. Chief Gannon then presented ordinance proposal Option 2 to make no change in the ordinance 01/22/18 -1- but enhance enforcement with additional non -sworn staff being added during enforcement hours. He noted, however, the Department has more than doubled citations this year as compared to last year yet complaints are high; there has not been a difference seen in violations or complaints; one citation is $46 (not a significant dollar amount); and, the Department forecasts a 30% increase in citations with additional staff, but that number may not be sustainable. Councilmember/Commissioner Graves asked why the court gets part of the citation. Chief Gannon explained that parking citations are processed through the court system. Mayor/President Willson stated eventually if you are called into court for a moving violation, they will follow up on the parking violations if there are a lot of them. Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan stated the only complaints he has received is about not enforcing the ordinance as people don't like to see cars parked on the street but he appreciates staff raising the equity issues as the City is not the same as it was years ago. Chief Gannon agreed the law should be enforced, noting it also involves an issue of community aesthetics. Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan stated with streets that are not very wide, he gets complaints when vehicles are parked overnight. He stated if there are parking restrictions, some streets should be posted for no parking. Chief Gannon stated other areas of complaint are near apartment complexes. Chief Gannon stated ordinance proposal Option 3 is to make seasonal restrictions for no parking from 2-6 a.m. from November 1 through April 1. There would be no on -street parking during any snow event of 2.5 inches or more until the roads are plowed curb -to -curb; no on -street parking for more than 12 continuous hour; a change to seasonal enforcement with a snow event clause would satisfy the Police Department, Public Works, and Building and Community Standards; allow the City to provide the best service to its citizens; and, towing vehicles during snow events would be more logical and justifiable. He stated the ordinance contains parking restrictions in four different sections and he would suggest consolidating that into one common area. Chief Gannon reviewed the benefits with Option 3 to reduce parking enforcement demand for officers, non -sworn Community Service Officers (CSOs), support services, and County dispatch personnel; reduce parking on grass complaints; and, be an efficient use of resources. Chief Gannon stated he lives in Blaine where there are seasonal parking restrictions so when his daughter has sleep overs, her friends cannot park on the street. Councilmember/Commissioner Butler stated she looks at this in two different ways. She stated while living with her parents and six siblings on Emerson, and with many cars, she received some tickets. But now as a home owner, she would not want to see a lot of cars parked on the street due to the image it creates. Also, she is sympathetic to people who live in apartments as some are only allotted one space in the parking lot so the other has to park elsewhere, which can cause violations. Councilmember/Commissioner Butler stated she also supports a change so the snowplows can get through and not have to divert around parked cars. 01/22/18 -2- Councilmember/Commissioner Graves stated she would be interested to see a map noting the location where the majority of the complaints are received, whether close to apartment buildings. She stated she is concerned that certain people receive more citations, such as multigenerational families within one home. Councilmember/Commissioner Graves stated when talking about resident economic stability, she would lean more towards Option 3 as it would address some of the issues. She stated as the City continues to grow, she is concerned with the number of parking spaces being available. Councilmember/Commissioner Graves stated the complaint she hears is that the City needs to enforce its ordinances and she felt some complaints are not being called in or it's an ongoing thing they do all the time. Councilmember/Commissioner Lawrence -Anderson stated support of Option 3 because if the City cannot enforce the existing ordinance adequately and equitably, then it needs to change. She likes the November 1 -April 1 timeframe, 2.5 -inch snowfall, and the twelve hours as there may be a family event like a sleep over. In addition, it will save time for the CSOs. Councilmember/Commissioner Graves felt generating a complaint map would be helpful before discussing areas of parking restrictions. Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan stated there are other ways the City Council/EDA addresses equity issues, noting driving is a privilege and there are a range of considerations with parking. He agreed the City needs clear authority to tow a car in the event of a 2.5 -inch snow. He recounted the calls of complaint he receives are that people don't want to see cars parked on their street so if your apartment comes with only one parking space and you have more than one vehicle, then you need to find a different apartment. Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan stated if Option 3 is considered, his only concern is whether the majority of homeowners would not like it because residents speak in favor of the current parking restrictions as they don't like cars parked on the street. He stated support for Option 2 with clear authority to tow cars during snow events. Councilmember/Commissioner Lawrence -Anderson stated the City already has that authority. She supported more signage and stated she does not think the City will see a dramatic influx of people parking on the street so she supports Option 3 with the towing provision. Mayor/President Willson stated no matter the change, the City will receive complaints. He stated he has received two parking violations and paid them both. He stated Brooklyn Center is known for having its streets plowed in a timely manner, so if there is an ordinance change, the City needs to make sure that is clearly communicated and how towing is handled. He stated in bigger cities, they just tow the cars and then residents are upset. Mayor/President Willson stated if parking on both sides of the street is allowed, fire trucks still need access to pass through, and that type of parking restriction can be delegated to the Advisory Traffic Committee for review and recommendation. He noted in 2017, there was a 2,000 increase in citations issued yet he is not hearing from residents about being tagged. Instead, he hears residents support to enforce the ordinance. Mayor/President Willson stated if all cars are being tagged for overnight parking, then 4 hours is not long enough so maybe there should be a 01/22/18 -3- 12 -hour window instead of a 6 -hour window. Also, if additional CSOs are needed, the City Council/EDA needs to consider that budget item. Mayor/President Willson stated support for Option 3 as long as emergency vehicles have access and there is a towing policy. He stated residents will need to be informed about any changes made, noting the final cost for an impounded car is much higher than $46. Chief Gannon stated the parking restriction begins before snow falls so vehicle owners will know they are parking in violation. He suggested using the term `snow event' instead of `snow emergency' and agreed there will need to be an educational process. Mayor/President Willson concurred and stated he also does not agree with declaring a snow emergency. He again stated support to consider Option 3 with ordinance changes, where needed. Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan noted should the City remove the parking restriction, there will be a lot of cars parked on the street with many angry residents. He recalled seeing many cars parked at one property, not all on pavement, because of space restriction. He stated this gets to the number of bread winners that need to be in a home to afford the mortgage. Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan stated others ask why the City does not restrict the number of cars that can be on a property, but he does not want to go there because it would impact the ability of people to live in those homes. He stated if restricting on street, he thinks it should stay with 12 hours as it is more enforceable and provides fair and equitable enforcement. Mr. Boganey stated he has a question because to some degree, he feels a lot of tonight's discussion has centered around solutions. But before getting much further into solutions, he would like to hear from the City Council/EDA as to their perspective on the problems and issues that need to be addressed. Councilmember/Commissioner Graves stated because it is complaint based, her concern is the equitable piece as the complaints are directed at the lowest income or those at risk and vulnerable. She stated she lives on Brooklyn Boulevard so she widened her driveway and has seen others doing the same with patio blocks, noting some of those homes may have multiple breadwinners. Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan stated he does not have a concern with the time restriction, as long-standing residents support it but he does have a concern if there is difficulty with consistent enforcement. He noted residents want to access information from the City where the rules are clearly stated and not everyone understands how it is supposed to work. In addition, the City needs a clear expression of the rules to tow vehicles in violation. Mayor/President Willson stated he has no problem with the ordinance as it is today. He agreed it could be enforced better, which means the City needs to hire additional CSOs. On the other hand, he asked how many speeding complaints the City received and whether the City puts `big brother' on the streets to address them. Mayor/President Willson asked how much expense the City wants to go to in order to address a complaint about a car parked on the street. He agreed some apartment complexes have a parking issue, but that is not a City street issue. The problem is that the apartment owners did not build enough parking to accommodate those who live there. Mayor/President Willson stated he does not see a problem that needs to be solved. 01/22/18 4- Councilmember/Commissioner Lawrence -Anderson stated there is inadequate staff to enforce the ordinance on the books, and ticketing is inconsistent as not all vehicles in violation are ticketed. Councilmember/Commissioner Butler stated she does not have a problem with the ordinance. She stated the City is getting complaints but anyone getting ticketed knows they parked in violation. She supports the ordinance as she does not want to see cars parked on her street. Mayor/President Willson stated the City's Code Enforcement looks at neighborhoods for code violations but when there is a sweep of an area, not everyone is tagged at the same time and some don't get tagged. He felt the City does the best it can and it boils down to how much does the City want to spend to be `big brother.' Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan asked whether the City Council/EDA feels it is that important to improve on what they have. He stated he does not make this a high priority but noted if only partial payment on tickets was received, given the number issued, it would probably pay for most of the expense of a CSO. Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan stated he does not see this as a high priority but wanted to respond in the context of what he sees as problems. Mr. Boganey stated to the extent that inconsistent enforcement, real or perceived, is something that is significant concern to the City Council/EDA at a policy level, there is more than one way to address that. He noted it may be more staff, it may be seasonal, or it may be something the City Council/EDA is willing to live with. Mayor/President Willson polled each Councilmember/Commissioner, asking if there is consensus to move forward with changes to the ordinance. Councilmember/Commissioner Graves stated the whole ordinance does not need to be changed but changes need to be made to address inconsistency and targeted enforcement. Mayor/President Willson stated he does not agree there is an effort to target enforcement. Councilmember/Commissioner Graves felt they are targeting where the complaints are received. Mayor/President Willson stated violators are ticketed because the car is parked on the street. Councilmember/Commissioner Graves supported directing staff to look at the ordinance and suggest changes. Councilmembers/Commissioners Ryan, Lawrence -Anderson, and Butler, and Mayor/President Willson indicated they do not support ordinance changes at this time. The majority consensus of the City Council/EDA was to not consider changes to the parking ordinance at this time. CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER 2018 STATE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES 01/22/18 -5- Mr. Boganey introduced the item and referenced the staff report containing a list of key legislative issues that would serve the interest of Brooklyn Center, noting they are issues the City Council/EDA has identified and prioritized as important legislative issues. He asked for feedback on the list as drafted, indicating staff will prepare a final list of legislative issues to share with the City's legislative delegation. Mayor/President Willson asked about adding the Blue Line. Mr. Boganey referenced the comment about transportation system improvements and stated the Blue Line could be specifically called out. Mayor/President Willson supported making that change. Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan asked whether the City should consider adding the $10.6 million gap on the 66th Avenue/Highway 252 project in the bonding bill. He referenced an article advocating for opposition by League member cities to various forms of pre-emption, one of which was the bill offered that if a city raises a levy over a certain amount, citizens could pass a petition and recall the issued levy. Mr. Boganey noted the City Council/EDA adopted a Resolution to that effect and it could be added to the list. Mayor/President Willson commented on the efforts of Senator Eaton and stated why he would not support putting the $10.6 million funding gap in the list. Councilmember/Commissioner Graves supported including the issue of pre-emption as suggested by Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan. Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan stated he does not think it would hurt to consider that resolution again as a general principle. Mayor/President Willson stated if going on record the City does not want to see a bill with pre- emption, so he would not support inclusion. Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan stated the League offers model resolutions and it could state it is an expression of Brooklyn Center's belief it is improper for local authorities to be pre-empted. Mr. Boganey stated if there is a consensus this evening on the items listed, staff will provide it at the Legislative breakfast on Saturday. He explained the issue of pre-emption can be considered by the City Council/EDA at a future Work Session and added later, if desired. The majority consensus of the City Council/EDA was to accept the 2018 Brooklyn Center Legislative Agenda with the addition of the Blue Line. ADJOURNMENT Councilmember/Commissioner Ryan moved and Councilmember/Commissioner Lawrence - Anderson seconded adjournment of the City Council/Economic Development Authority Work- Session orkSession at 9:16 p.m. Motion passed unanimously. 01/22/18 -6- STATE OF MINNESOTA) COUNTY OF HENNEPIN) ss. Certification of Minutes CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER) The undersigned, being the duly qualified and appointed City Clerk of the City of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, certifies: 1. That attached hereto is a full, true, and complete transcript of the minutes of a Work Session of the City Council of the City of Brooklyn Center held on January 22, 2018. 2. That said meeting was held pursuant to due call and notice thereof and was duly held at Brooklyn Center City Hall. 3. That the City Council adopted said minutes at its February 12, 2018, Regular Session. J(VVA&�� City Clerk 01/22/18 -7- Mayor