City Council Gives Final Nod to Parking Overhaul

The Mill Valley City Council officially passed the largest overhaul of its parking laws in recent history Monday night, approving a package of weekend meter enforcement and a parking sticker program that allows 94941 residents to park for free in metered spaces. Coupled with earlier approvals for increased parking meter rates and a spike in parking violation fees, the city hopes to address budget shortfalls and lure local residents downtown and away from the free parking of nearby malls and shopping centers.

The council had stated its support for a broad set of changes in June, and city staff had begun implementing those changes. Monday's approval largely was a formality, with a few minor tweaks.

The changes approved Monday and in June are as follows:

• As of Aug. 1, the city will raise its parking meter rates from 50 cents an hour to 75 cents an hour, the first meter rate increase since 2005.
• As of Sept. 1, the city will expand its enforcement of parking meters to include Saturdays and Sundays.
• Effective immediately, 94941 residents can purchase a $30 sticker that will allow them to park at a metered space for free for the maximum amount of time allowed in that metered space. The city has rolled out the Resident Shopper Vehicle Permit (RSVP) program, and Mill Valley Police Captain Jim Wickham said 173 permits have been sold since sales began a week ago. Permits are valid from Aug. 1 to July 31, 2011.
• Parking violation fines have gone up $15, ranging from $25 for an expired meter to $45 for parking in a tow-away zone.

Since the council had already discussed the issue at length in previous meetings, the debate was brief. Councilwoman Shawn Marshall reiterated her distaste for Sunday meter enforcement, but said she understood that adding only Saturday would only address half of its projected parking enforcement program deficit of approximately $100,000.

The RSVP program is a one-year pilot. It allows households to purchase their first two annual stickers for $30, and $65 for each one after that. At Councilman Garry Lion's suggestion, the council tweaked it to allow households to get a $35 discount on a third sticker if it is for a scooter or electric hybrid vehicle.

The council also added language to give City Manager Jim McCann the ability to approve discounts to the RSVP permits as the year progresses in an effort to boost sales.

"We should monitor it quarterly and certainly at 12 months and see how we're doing and amend the program based on how it's doing and business feedback," Mayor Stephanie Moulton-Peters said.

Both votes were 3-0, with Vice Mayor Ken Wachtel and Councilman Andrew Berman absent.