Parking Commission - February 28, 2019 Minutes
The Regular Meeting of the Board of Parking Commissioners of the City of Fargo, North Dakota, was held in the Commission Chambers at City Hall at 9:00 a.m., Thursday, February 28, 2019.
The Parking Commissioners present or absent were as follows:
Present: Chairperson Mike Williams, Brian Hayer, Randy Thorson
Absent: Margie Bailly, Jay Krabbenhoft
Chairperson Williams called the meeting to order.
Item 1: Approve Order of Agenda
Member Hayer moved the Order of Agenda be approved as presented. Second by Member Thorson. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 2: Minutes: Regular Meeting of December 20, 2018
Member Hayer moved the minutes of the December 20, 2018 Parking Commission meeting be approved. Second by Member Thorson. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 3: Interstate Report/Financial Data
Interstate Parking Interim Manager Vanessa Hernandez, presented the January 2019 financial and operations report.
The Board further discussed staff challenges with snow removal downtown due to this winter’s heavy snowfall.
Item 4: Mercantile Parking Garage Update
Director of Strategic Planning and Research Jim Gilmour briefly reviewed the proposed project. He stated the next steps going forward are: 1) bring the proposal before the City Commission to request authorization for the City Attorney to work with Kilbourne Group on a Development Agreement; 2) meet to review and discuss the overall design; and 3) create a financial plan for this project.
Keith Leier, Vice President of Development and Construction for Kilbourne Group, spoke on behalf of the project. He shared a visual presentation for the two phases of the project, and noted the targeted schedule date to begin will be sometime in August or September of this year.
The Board discussed the following: alternative parking options for parking customers displaced during the construction; the number of parking spaces planned for the new facility; the number of apartments proposed for the phase two construction; including electric vehicle charging stations in the new garage; and the projected costs for the entire project.
Mr. Gilmour referred to the document submitted to the Board showing the breakdown of the estimated costs. He suggested receiving input on this project from an outside resource, such as Walker Consultants, regarding the advantages and disadvantages of using precast versus cast-in-place building materials.
Member Thorson moved to proceed with bringing this proposal before the City Commission to authorize the City Attorney and Kilbourne Group to work on a Development Agreement, and for staff to move forward and prepare a draft of the financial plan. Second by Member Hayer. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.
Item 5: Parking Timelines for Downtown Projects
a. Construction Vehicle Parking
b. Encroachments
Division Engineer Kevin Gorder talked about current issues regarding these two items, and stated his staff is reviewing the City’s existing policies and procedures. He explained with the existing construction projects and those in the near future, his department is receiving phone calls concerning the loss of available public parking spaces due to the number of dumpsters and large equipment placed in these spaces. Mr. Gorder stated he will keep the Board updated as these items are addressed.
Assistant Planning Director Mark Williams clarified the two types of construction parking permits issued by the City. He stated the Engineering Department issues permits for the larger equipment such as dump trucks, cranes, and dumpsters; and Interstate Parking Company issues permits for service company vehicles downtown on a short-term basis such as pickups and vans.
Ms. Hernandez further explained the parking restrictions for service vehicle permits regarding where they can park downtown, the hours allowed, and what generates a parking ticket. She noted the new Passport System’s ability to track vehicles by their license plate has been a great help as staff monitors these parking permits daily. Ms. Hernandez also stated a service vehicle permit costs $25.00, and there is no cap on the number of permits issued per year.
Item 6: Other Business
No other business was discussed.
Member Hayer moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:43 a.m. Second by Member Thorson. All Members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.