TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: John Morgan, Environmental Services Director
THROUGH: Donald B. Cooper, City Manager
DATE: July 5, 2016
Title
LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH PALM BEACH COUNTY FOR THE USE OF THE SOUTH COUNTY COURTHOUSE PARKING GARAGE FOR A DOWNTOWN BUSINESS EMPLOYEE PARKING PROGRAM
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Motion to approve a License Agreement with Palm Beach County for use of the South County Courthouse Garage for a Downtown Business Employee Parking Program.
Body
Background:
Increasing the availability of parking spaces for downtown business customers is an important objective of the City's parking management program for the downtown core. Providing safe and convenient parking in an alternative location for downtown business employees is one of the strategies that has been considered in an effort to free up parking spaces for downtown customers. City staff in collaboration with the Parking Management Advisory Board, Downtown Development Authority (DDA), and business owner stakeholder groups have developed a pilot program for downtown employee parking. The working group determined that most feasible location for the accomplishing the objectives for the program is the parking garage owned by Palm Beach County at the South County Courthouse. The Courthouse Garage has 350 parking spaces available after courthouse business hours and on weekends. Providing incentives for downtown employees to choose parking in the Courthouse Garage rather than using downtown off-street and on-street parking spaces will make downtown parking spaces available for visitors and customers. As a result of providing employee parking at the Courthouse Garage, it is anticipated that at least 700 additional vehicles will have access to downtown parking spaces per evening.
Palm Beach County has proposed a license agreement with the City for the use of the Courthouse Garage which includes:
• Use of the Courthouse Garage during evenings and weekends for a 12 month pilot employee parking program beginning in July 2016.
• Weekdays - allow the use of 200 spaces starting at 3:00 PM, with an additional 150 spaces made available starting at 6:00 PM (total 350 spaces). Parking will be available until 3:00 AM.
• Weekends and holidays (when the courthouse is closed) - starting at 11:00 AM, 350 spaces are available until 3:00 AM.
• Employee rearview mirror hang tags - available to business owners @ $20 per tag per month invoiced quarterly.
• Staffing - garage will be staffed by the City's Garage Services contractor at all times during utilization to ensure safety and cleanliness.
• Program will be revenue neutral (rearview mirror hang tag sales revenue will not to exceed operational costs).
• All employee vehicles must be removed prior to next court business day (Delray Police Department will enforce).
City Attorney Review:
Approved as to form and legal sufficiency.
Timing of Request:
Approval of the license agreement is time sensitive in order to start the program in July 2016 and be fully operational prior to the 2016 - 2017 season.