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Committee reviews FY2027 draft parking budget; considers $70 commuter permit for Lot 2 and holiday staffing flexibility
Summary
Staff presented a draft FY2027 downtown parking fund budget described as 'narrowly balanced,' proposed expanding a $70 commuter permit to Lot 2 (projected impact ~ $90,000), and recommended removing most holiday fee-schedule language while phasing in more self-service automation; members pressed for reserve rebuilding and data on locals vs visitors.
Mr. France, a city parking staff member, presented the Downtown Parking Fund draft FY2027 budget on March 12 as a midyear adjustment and said the plan shows a narrowly balanced outlook for next year.
"This brings us to is a narrowly balanced budget for FY27," Mr. France told the committee, framing proposed steps to trim capital spending, pursue more automation and self-service in selected surface lots, and retain funding for high-priority maintenance (pavement and garage waterproofing, revenue-control systems, fire alarms). He said the fund is projecting modest revenue growth in hourly and monthly parking but that reserves remain low: policy reserves are about $4 million while the fund holds roughly $1.5 million.
A key proposed operational change is expanding a discounted commuter permit. Staff proposed extending the $70-per-month commuter permit (previously offered in Lot 10 and legacy commuter lots) to Lot 2 to incentivize more regular downtown users. Staff acknowledged the conversion would reduce revenue for existing permit holders and estimated a projected impact of about $90,000. Committee member Conn said she opposed the proposal: "I don't love the $70 parking permit for lot 2 addition ... $70 is way too low for a whole month," expressing concern about reserve levels and maintenance costs.
The draft budget also recommends removing most holiday fee-schedule entries (retaining major holidays like Christmas, New Year's Day and Easter) to give staff discretion to evaluate whether to open lots on specific holidays based on expected demand and staffing constraints. Roy Forny, the parking supervisor, said removing fixed holiday language allows staff to assess each holiday (Easter included) and determine whether staffing and operations make sense.
Staff described other approaches to stabilize the fund: trimming the capital program, prioritizing critical maintenance, pursuing automation to reduce hourly staffing costs, and seeking better outreach (DSBIA partnership and media) to increase permit uptake and clarity on discounted offerings. Committee members pressed for clearer calculations on how proposed changes affect locals versus visitors and asked staff to present more data-driven analyses in future budget cycles.
What’s next: the committee took no formal action; staff will continue refining budget figures, outreach plans for discounted permits, and monitoring reserve and capital needs ahead of subsequent budget hearings.
