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Bothell staff recommend full parking-management program; council asked for budget options and operator details
Summary
Staff proposed a citywide parking-management program—a holistic curb-management system combining signage, enforcement, technology and data—estimating first-year implementation near $600,000. Council generally supported a full-system approach and asked staff to return with budget and operational details, enforcement scope, and neighborhood spillover plans.
City staff on June 2 recommended that Bothell design and implement a citywide, holistic parking-management program focused on predictable user experience and equitable access in downtown and adjacent neighborhoods. The plan calls for updated signage, targeted enforcement staffing (a dedicated parking enforcement/ambassador position), technology purchases (for data and payment/permit systems), and ongoing data collection to guide optimization.
Ashish Jooshi, the city’s economic development lead, summarized peer-city lessons and argued for a full-system approach rather than a piecemeal pilot that could cause confusion for users. Staff estimated initial signage and technology one-time costs and an operational first-year cost in the range of $600,000; cost-recovery options (metering, permits, variable pricing) are planned to be modeled after the technology is in place.
Council members expressed broad support for a comprehensive program, emphasized the need to plan for neighborhood spillover (for example, permit enforcement in residential areas near downtown and the high-school corridor), and requested clear communications and an ambassador phase before enforcement begins. Council also asked staff to consider human-centered enforcement practices, the process for procuring towing and enforcement services (competitive RFP), and whether the technology purchases would be extensible for future pricing/optimization.
No formal action was taken; staff will return as part of the biennial budget process with cost and staffing options and recommended enforcement scope. Councilmembers emphasized that any program should balance turnover for businesses with predictable access for residents, and that outreach and clear, accessible materials (including taxpayer or user-cost projections) will be needed before enforcement begins.
