PARKING PERMITTED In the interest of promoting small businesses, the City Council is expected to adopt an on-street parking permit fee for employees of business located near 10th Street and Pico Boulevard.
The permit fee will be $30 each, per quarter, generating $2,400 in new revenue.
However, all of that money will go back into managing the program, as city staff will be required to process new permit applications and issue the permits. The City Council examined creating a permit fee that would generate more revenue than is required to run the program, providing a resource for community improvement projects, according to a city staff report. But the City Attorney’s office determined that such a fee is not consistent with state law which authorizes the sale of employee permits, and therefore, the idea was not explored further.
The one-year pilot program was approved by the City Council in February to provide relief for business owners along Pico Boulevard who complained about a lack of parking. Twenty permits will be issued, with a business eligible for five total. A lottery will be set up to determine which businesses will qualify. The cost of each permit will be $120 per year or $30 per quarter, according to a city staff report.
The suggested employee permit fee is double what is charged for a residential parking permit, which is $15. It will take more time to issue employee permits, staff said, because it is more complicated to establish and verify eligibility, as well as to monitor whether or not employees and businesses are in compliance with the pilot program’s regulations. Additionally, the materials fee per permit will be greater because the materials will be purchased in lower quantities, meaning less opportunities for discounts.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 11, 2006. Read the original PDF.