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Board seeks data on scooter pilot use and parking revenues as contract review approaches
Summary
Board members asked staff for monthly usage and incident reports for the Spin scooter pilot and requested finance provide the net revenue picture for the city’s downtown parking program, including garage debt service and Denison contract details.
City economic-development staff and advisory board members discussed the Spin scooter pilot, downtown parking operations run under contract, and the need for data to inform contract renegotiation.
Steve Weathers said the Spin pilot carries a flat annual fee to the city and that staff will request monthly reports on rides, hours and incidents so the city can assess performance before negotiating future terms. "We have a flat fee of 35,000 for the year," Weathers said, and described how staff plans to use ridership and incident data to justify future contract terms and possible per-ride charges.
Parking revenues and bonds: The board asked whether paid parking is net-positive for the city. City staff and the city attorney explained that parking revenue exceeds operating costs but that much of the revenue is pledged to pay bond debt on garages. The Luminary garage debt for the hotel portion was noted as non–tax-exempt due to private use, making financing costs higher. The city attorney said EMMA disclosures and debt-service obligations limit how revenues can be reallocated. "So are we making money? We're not profiting. We're paying off the debt that we incurred to build the garages," the city attorney explained.
Data requests and next steps: The board asked staff to provide: (1) monthly Spin usage and incident reports; (2) a finance breakdown showing parking gross receipts, Denison operating contract charges, and net revenue after debt service for the garages; and (3) contract terms and time-of-day parameters used in the pilot. Staff agreed to request the data and bring it back at a future meeting to inform negotiations and potential adjustments to parking hours or pricing.
Ending: Board members said the data will be used to roundly evaluate whether the flat fee or a per-ride fee structure better serves city revenue goals and downtown business needs.
