Committee asks staff to improve clarity on private lots and examine policy on charging for required parking

Committee members and several callers raised recurring confusion among drivers about the difference between private parking lots and municipal public parking, and asked staff to make signage and public information clearer.

Monica Beltran (Parking Director) said private lots are required to post contact and towing information, and some operators have moved from immediate towing to camera-based citations sent by mail. Committee members requested a more conspicuous sign standard (for example, an orange or yellow placard) that would allow drivers to tell at a glance whether a lot is private or public.

Committee members also asked whether private property owners may charge drivers for parking in spaces that were required by city code as part of a development (for example, required parking stalls for a multi‑family building or a retail use). Staff said the municipal code currently requires owners to provide required parking but is silent on whether that required parking can be monetized; that question will be researched and returned with a legal memorandum. The committee asked staff to bring back recommended signage standards for private lots and to research whether required parking may be charged by private owners and, if so, whether policy or code changes are advisable.

Staff agreed to draft clearer signage requirements for private-lot operators, to explore standard language and color schemes that distinguish private lots from municipal lots, and to report back with legal analysis on whether development-required parking should be available for free or may be monetized by private owners.