RULES COMMITTEE: 9/6/2023
ITEM: C.1
Memorandum
TO: RULES AND OPEN
GOVERNMENT
COMMMITTEE
FROM: Mayor Matt Mahan
Councilmember Sergio Jimenez
Councilmember Arjun Batra
SUBJECT: SAFE PARKING
PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS
DATE: August 31, 2023
APPROVED:
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Direct the City Manager to evaluate amending the Citywide Safe Parking Program to remove registration, operability, and insurance requirements, and return to Council for consideration and approval.
2. Direct the City Manager to engage LifeMoves to amend the operation agreement for the VTA Santa Teresa Safe Parking program to remove registration, operability, and insurance requirements, and return to Council for consideration and approval.
DISCUSSION
We celebrated the opening of the VTA Santa Teresa Safe Parking community in July. Since then, we’ve learned that residents who live in RVs are being required to show proof of DMV registration and insurance for their vehicles to enter the program, and only operable vehicles are allowed onsite. These requirements add unnecessary barriers to participation and have slowed efforts to move RVs from the surrounding neighborhoods into the program. Realistically, unhoused residents living in their vehicles often don’t have the means to renew their registration, pay for insurance, or perform repairs on their vehicles.
While we should expect safe parking participants to work with onsite staff who can help them secure registration, insurance, and repairs once they’re enrolled, we shouldn’t apply these as requirements to enter the program. If a prospective participant can’t move their vehicle to the site due to operability challenges, we should consider working with our tow contractors to help them move.
We understand staff is already considering revisiting the contract with LifeMoves and hope a renegotiated contract can serve as a template for our future safe parking operation agreements.