City makes parking rate changes

Andrew Edwards

Downtown parking rates will go up for shoppers and Downtown merchants

and employees, but Downtown residents will still be allowed to park

near their homes, though the City Council tightened the rules.

Splitting the issue into separate votes, the council voted Tuesday

after postponing a decision at the March 2 meeting. The polices

adopted Tuesday reflected city leaders’ desire to enhance revenue but

were tempered in an attempt to accommodate businesses and residents.

Raising parking meter rates is expected to put about $225 thousand

in the city’s coffers each year, City Manager Ken Frank said.

The increased permit rates would garner about $200 thousand

annually, he added.

Councilman Wayne Baglin voted against all of the rate hikes on the

council’s agenda, saying he would not support an increase unless the

revenue would be dedicated to improving parking conditions in Laguna.

“The parking fund has become a general slush fund to be used by

the City Council and city manager to siphon off funds for whatever is

politically correct at that particular time and it is not going

toward solving the major parking issues we have in Laguna Beach, such

as the parking structure at the Village Entrance,” he said.

By a 3 to 2 vote, the body chose to up parking meter rates in

public lots with ticket dispensers that accept dollar bills.

Beginning next year, parking rates are set to go up from $1 to $1.50.

On March 2 the council deferred a decision on raising meter rates

until city officials had a chance to hear the Chamber of Commerce’s

opinion on how a rate hike would impact Downtown shops.

In a March 24 letter from the chamber’s board of directors, the

board indicated the body would accept an increase in meter rates only

in parking lots, and would agree with higher rates for business and

shopper permits.

For Downtown residents, the City Council modified a 2003 decision

that would have forced residents keep their cars out of the business

district and park along Cliff Drive.

With unanimous approval, council members allowed residents to park

near their homes, but limited households to two permits each and set

24-hour time limits for parking. Permit holders must also prove they

live in Laguna Beach.

Residents account for about 35 Downtown permits, and Councilman

Steve Dicterow said the city should adapt their policy for Downtown

residents.

“The number of people involved is extremely small in relation to

the number of households in town, but the impact on those people is

tremendous,” Dicterow said.

Several Downtown residents spoke at the meeting in defense of

their parking spaces. After the meeting Thomas Kezar, who owns eight

Downtown apartments, described the policy as an acceptable compromise

for Downtown residents.

“For our residents, it’s fair. They’re not worried about the 24

hours,” He said. “If you can’t park in front of where you live it has

a myriad of problems.”

Shopper and business permits are scheduled to cost more beginning

Aug. 1.

For Lagunans, four shopper permit are allowed per household. The

new costs for the first two were set at $40, any more were priced at

$75.

Seniors living outside the city but in neighboring areas served by

the Laguna Beach Unified School Districts can have two permits per

household. The new rate for the first permit was set at $60, with the

price of the second set at $75.

Business permits were priced at $240. Baglin was the only council

member to vote against upping the rates for shopper and business

permits. The council unanimously voted to allow drivers to pay for

parking permits with credit cards.

In another agenda item, the council voted 3 to 2 to increase

parking rates at the Act V lot to $7. In a future meeting the body

will likely consider hiking parking rates at the Downtown Lumberyard

lot.

“The closer you get to the heart of the community, the higher the

rate should be,” Councilwoman Toni Iseman said.