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Agenda Report
January 23, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Department of Transportation
SUBJECT: ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO SUSPEND THE COLLECTION OF
PARKING FEES FOR PREFERENTIAL PARKING GUEST PASSES,
OVERNIGHT PARKING PERMITS, AND PARKING IN CITY GARAGE
FACILITIES, FOR VEHICLES REGISTERED AT ADDRESSES
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED IN THE EATON FIRE
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council:
1. Find that the action proposed herein is not a "project" subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to California Public Resources Code Section 21065 and within the meaning of CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b);
2. Adopt a resolution to suspend the collection of parking fees for:
a. Up to three additional annual guest preferential parking permits per account address for vehicles that are registered to addresses that were damaged or destroyed in the Eaton Fire;
b. Additional overnight parking permits, in excess of the limit of two, to residents hosting vehicles that are registered to addresses that were damaged or destroyed in the Eaton Fire, except to addresses posted as red flag no parking streets in Pasadena; and
c. Vehicles registered to addresses that were damaged or destroyed in the Eaton Fire to park in City parking facilities with available capacity for up to 30 days.
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BACKGROUND:
On the morning of Wednesday, January 8, 2025 in response to the Eaton Windstorm and Fire emergency, the Pasadena Department of Transportation (DOT) suspended all parking enforcement activities to focus resources on the response to the emergency. Parking staff MEETING OF _
01/23/2025AGENDA ITEM NO.2
Suspension of Parking Fees for Properties Impacted by the Eaton Fire January 23,2025
and contracted enforcement staff were directed to assist with traffic control, staffing of the City's Emergency Operations Center, and to staff shifts at the emergency shelter at the convention center and later at the water and personal protective equipment distribution center.
On Monday, January 13,2025, Pasadena DOT resumed enforcement of safety related violations, which included red flag, red curb, driveway block and hydrant block violations.
The goal of this effort was to ensure that streets and hydrants were kept clear during the subsequent red flag event, and to ensure that residents and emergency personnel had access to structures if necessary. On Tuesday, January 21, 2025, Pasadena DOT resumed enforcement of parking meters, time limits, loading zones and City owned surface lot paid parking. The goal of this effort was to ensure that customer parking remained available to assist businesses that were fully reopening, and to ensure that delivery companies had access to deliver necessary supplies and materials to businesses. The City also announced that overnight parking restrictions in residential areas and preferential parking restriction areas would not be enforced until the end of January at the earliest.
As the City enters the recovery phase of the disaster, staff recommends that the City return to regular enforcement operations with some modifications to policy to accommodate residents who were either directly impacted by the fire, or who are hosting friends and family members who have been displaced. Staff will resume Citywide parking enforcement in two steps, the first step occurring on February 3, 2025 and the second step occurring on March 1 ,2025.
However, to assist residents impacted by the Eaton Fire, staff is recommending certain fees be suspended.
Monday, February 3, 2025: Resumption of parking enforcement for street sweepmfl, preferential ^arkjngjdistricts, red tag (72-hour) and oversized vehicle parkina violations
As the City enters the recovery phase, street sweeping is necessary to ensure that streets are kept clear of debris to mitigate environmental impacts and to prepare streets and drainage systems for rain events. Enforcement of street sweeping regulations is important to ensure that streets are clear of vehicles so street sweeping and debris removal equipment can do their work efficiently.
We anticipate that neighborhoods with preferential parking districts will soon start to see impacts from institutions and businesses in their neighborhoods as they resume regular activities. Residents within preferential parking districts currently receive three annual guest passes which may be shared with guest that were displaced by the Eaton Fire. Staff recommends that Council authorize the Director of Transportation to issue up to three additional annual guest passes per account address at no charge to the resident, that can be issued for vehicles that are registered to addresses that were damaged or destroyed by the Eaton Fire. This will allow residents who are housing people displaced by the fire the ability to park on-street during the day within a preferential parking district. 2 Suspension of Parking Fees for Properties Impacted by the Eaton Fire January 23, 2025
The Department of Transportation is receiving requests for enforcement of vehicles that are parked in neighborhoods without appearing to have been moved. In the past, we have addressed these vehicles through the "Red Tag" process, which involves staff putting a notice on the vehicle and documenting its location with photos. If the vehicle had not moved within 72 hours, then Pasadena DOT staff would impound the vehicle. In response to the Eaton Fire, DOT staff have modified practices. Staff are now making efforts to identify the vehicle owner and registered address and leaving additional contact information in an effort to determine if the vehicle's owner has been impacted by the fire. If a vehicle owner has been impacted by the Eaton Fire and needs temporary accommodations for their vehicle while they work to recover from the disaster, staff would like to provide an off-street parking option to that resident. Staff recommends that Council authorize the Director of Transportation to allow vehicles registered to addresses that were damaged or destroyed in the Eaton Fire to park in City parking facilities for up to 30 days at no cost to the vehicle owner. The parking facility offered to the resident for 30-days of no-cost parking will be based on garage occupancy.
Oversized vehicles that exceed a height of 7 feet, a width of 7 feet, and length of 20 feet are prohibited from on-street parking overnight and are not eligible for overnight parking permits.
While we have temporarily suspended enforcement of the overnight ordinance, staff will resume enforcement of oversized vehicle parking on February 3, 2025. Oversized vehicles parking on City streets can inhibit street sweeping and clean-up efforts and can also hinder emergency response efforts. These vehicles are best parked off-street on private property, and the resumption of enforcement will help ensure the streets are kept clear.
Saturday, March 1, 2025: Resumption of overnight parking enforcement Staff will return to regular overnight enforcement on March 1, 2025. Currently, up to two annual overnight parking permits can be purchased by residents who meet specific criteria as defined in the Pasadena Municipal Code section 10.44. In addition, nightly overnight parking permits can be purchased online or through Temporary Overnight Parking Exemption Kiosks (TOPEK) located throughout the City. To accommodate residents that have been impacted by the Eaton Fire staff recommends that Council authorize the Director of Transportation the ability to issue additional no-fee overnight parking permits in excess of the limit of two to residents hosting vehicles that are registered to addresses that were damaged or destroyed in the Eaton Fire. These permits shall be valid for 90 days, and applicants may reapply as long as the vehicle's registered address remains uninhabitable. Staff also recommends that addresses on streets posted as prohibiting red flag parking in Pasadena not be eligible for these additional no-cost overnight permits to ensure emergency vehicle access in the event of an emergency.
COUNCIL POLICY CONSIDERATION
This project is consistent with the City Council's goal of the Strategic Plan: Support and promote the quality of life and the local economy.
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ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
CEQA excludes, from environmental review, actions that are not "projects" as defined by California Public Resources Code Section 21065 and within the meaning of CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b). Sections 21065 and 15378(b) define a project as an action which may cause either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Section 15378 excludes from the definition of "project" administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. The actions proposed herein, authorizing the City Manager to suspend certain fees for persons impacted by the Eaton Fire, is an administrative activity, and therefore is not a "project" as defined by CEQA. Since the action is not a project subject to CEQA, no environmental document is required.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The fiscal impact of providing no cost parking in City parking facilities is unknown, but anticipated to be negligible. The cost of providing additional no-fee overnight permits is also expected to be minimal and includes staff time budgeted through the current operating budget.
Respectfully submitted,
JOAQUIN T. SIQUES
Director, Department of Transportation
Prepared by,
JON HAMBLEN
Parking Manager
Approved by:
MIGV&-f^lARQUEZ
City Manager
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