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Council raises parking-fee caps in ordinance change; staff says revenues will stay in parking fund for operations and projects
Summary
The Vancouver City Council approved an ordinance amending on-street permit and meter fee code sections to increase fee thresholds; staff said the parking fund is an enterprise fund and revenues would be reinvested in parking operations, technology and mobility initiatives.
The Vancouver City Council on May 12 approved a revision to the city's parking code that raises the maximum on-street permit threshold and updates multiple meter- and permit-related sections of the Vancouver Municipal Code.
The ordinance, read into the record by staff, amends provisions in VMC titles 19 and 9, including sections cited in the staff report addressing on-street permits, payment transferability, parking meter fees and carpool permit eligibility and rates. Council approved the ordinance as part of tonight's business after questions from Council Member Fox about the size of the fee-cap change.
Staff explained that the code change increases the cap for on-street permits (current cap cited as $100) to a higher threshold (the staff presentation referenced a $200 ceiling) to give the city room to adjust rates in the future without returning immediately to council. "We don't expect to move rates up immediately, but we are up against the top of the threshold," a staff member said.
Council Member Fox questioned who decides when rates are changed; staff responded that the city manager or the manager's designee—identified in the meeting as Patrick Quinton, director of economic prosperity and housing—would make the administrative decision to adjust rates within the new thresholds, following periodic evaluation.
Patrick Quinton, the city's director of economic prosperity and housing, explained the fiscal purpose of the change: "The parking fund then supports our parking operations. So our staff and all of the expenses that go in with parking enforcement... that revenue goes back into parking related uses and investments." He listed likely investments as maintenance of garages and meters, technology upgrades, wayfinding systems, downtown circulator options and ADA improvements.
The ordinance was moved by Council Member Fox and seconded by Council Member Perez; council approved the measure on a voice vote noted as unanimous.
Why it matters: staff said parking is accounted for in an enterprise fund separate from the general fund, meaning rate revenue is restricted to parking-related expenses and investments. The increased fee ceiling gives administrative flexibility but does not itself raise rates; future rate changes would be based on occupancy, market comparisons and revenue needs and would require communications to the public.
Next steps: staff will continue to evaluate occupancy and revenue data, communicate any future proposed rate changes, and use parking revenues for upgrades and pilot mobility projects identified in the city's parking plan.
