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HomeMy WebLinkAbout _ 9.1(b)-Consider City of Redding's response to the Shasta County Grand Jury Report regarding ParkingI T Y O F ' F 0 R N i AV v CITY OF REDDING REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: August 4, 2025 FROM: Michael Webb, Public Works ITEM NO. 9.1(b) Director ***APPROVED BY*** /.,k, de4.d,bhc r).,ector 7/2$1242 i Pig ii, Ci analep7 713112425 mwebb@cityofredding.orgbtippin@cityofredding.org SUBJECT: 9.1(b) --Consider City of Redding's response to the Shasta County Grand Jury Report regarding Parking Recommendation Authorize the Mayor to sign and send a response letter to the 2024-25 Shasta County Grand Jury concerning its report titled "Redding's Downtown Paid Parking Program" regarding the operations of the City of Redding's paid parking program. Fiscal Impact The mitigations listed in response to the Grand Jury's findings and recommendations including but not limited to additional sign installation, existing sign adjustments and additional guidance and information regarding the City of Redding's (City) paid parking program, will be funded by the City's Parking Division and is included in its approved budget for Fiscal Year 2024-25. Should City Council (Council) choose additional mitigations above those listed in the response, additional funding would need to be included into the divisions approved budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26. Alternative Action The Council may choose to modify or not authorize a response to the Shasta County Grand Jury, and provide additional direction as necessary. However, it should be noted that the City is required to respond to the findings and recommendations contained within the report no later than 90 days (or August 30, 2025) after the Grand Jury submits the report. Background/Analysis The Shasta County Grand Jury issued the attached report titled "Redding's Downtown Paid Parking Program" on June 30, 2025. The report contains six findings, and six recommendations. The Council is required to respond to the findings and recommendations. Staff has developed the attached response to the Shasta County Grand Jury for the Council's review and consideration. The response highlights the City's willingness of transparency in posting reports with the Report to Redding City Council July 31, 2025 Re: 9.1(b) -Consider City of Redding's response to the Shasta County Grand Jury Report regarding Parking Page 2 parking systems measurables more frequently in areas easily accessible to the public as well as increasing the visibility of signage within the parking program area. Environmental Review This action, responding to the Grand Jury, is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and no action is required at this time. The sign installation project will be subject to a separate review under CEQA and addressed as the project is developed. Council Priority/City Manager Goals Communication and Transparency — "Improve the quality of communication with the public and City employees to enhance knowledge and increase transparency to improve public trust." Attachments ^Parking Response - Mayor's Letter ^Shasta County Grand Jury Report C IT Y OF CITY OF REDDING �' . _ : 960011 EDDIIN '• :O 496071,Redding, CA 0 Jack Munns, Mayor jmunns@cityofredding.org 530.225.4447 The Honorable Tamara Wood Presiding Judge Shasta County Superior Court 1515 Court Street, Room 610 Redding, CA 96001 Dear Judge Wood: August 5, 2025 The Shasta County Grand Jury issued a report regarding the City of Redding's Downtown Parking Program, The Grand Jury has requested that the City Council respond to six findings and six related recommendations. The City appreciates the time and effort the Grand Jury invested in its review and submits the following responses: Findings Fl. The City's Transportation Department staff monitors cost and revenue performance, as well as payment methods used, to measure the success or failure of the program's financial objectives. The Grand Jury found no evidence that monitored results are regularly communicated to the City Council and the general public, so it is unclear if objectives are being met. Response: The City disagrees wholly with this finding. Staff regularly track and evaluate financial metrics—including revenue, costs, and payment methods—using internal reports and data collected through vendor platforms. The parking program has been established for approximately 2 years and 4 months and during that time, Council and the public have received two specific updates on September 5, 2023 and April 16, 2024 regarding the monitored results of the program. An additional three parking items were brought forth to City Council on May 2, 2023, May 7, 2024 and October 15, 2024 and at those meetings, the City Council and general public were provided the opportunity to discuss results of the program. In all of these occurrences, changes to the parking program were communicated to, and implemented by, City Council to meet businesses or government entity needs as the downtown area experienced growth or changes. Based on the meetings listed above, City Council feels that both City Council and the general public have received adequate communication regarding the financial performance of the parking program. As the downtown area continues to develop, additional updates and modifications to the parking program are anticipated and will be communicated to, and ultimately approved by, City Council. F2. Two key goals of the parking program (maintaining an available parking capacity of 15% or greater and improving parking turnover) are not being regularly monitored or reported. Failure to monitor these two metrics leaves open the question of whether the City's objective of achieving the "most efficient use of'allpublic and private parking spaces in downtown Redding" is being met. Response: The City disagrees wholly with this finding. Initially and during the early stages, the City had commissioned third -party data collection and analysis software to measure available capacity and turnover metrics to confirm that the parking program was meeting the available capacity and turnover goals. This information was also utilized in presentations to City Council and the general public. After operating the parking program for 18 months, collecting data that indicated consistent achievement of the parking capacity and turnover goals, as well as receiving general positive feedback from downtown businesses, the City determined that continuing to commission available parking and turnover data was an unnecessary expense to the parking program. However, the City anticipates a future need for additional parking capacity and turnover data and analysis as the downtown area continues to develop and the parking program continues to mature ultimately providing the information needed to make the appropriate adjustments to the parking program. Similar to the response to Finding I described above, City Council feels that both City Council and the general public have received adequate communication regarding the performance metrics of the parking program. F3. Entrances to off-street parking are not always clearly marked, contributing to (a) difficulty locating off-street parking, (b) the perception of a lack of downtown parking, and (c) drivers parking at distances greater than necessary from their destination. These issues contribute to the perception of excessive walking distances when closer parking might have been available. Response: The City disagrees partially with this finding. All off-street parking facilities utilized by the program include signage at or near entrance points, but visibility and clarity can vary due to location - specific constraints such as landscaping, building placement, or existing infrastructure. The City has completed a signage assessment and is in the process of orientating existing signage and installing a minimal amount of improved entry signage to increase visibility and ensure more consistent messaging across facilities as well as incorporating additional wayfinding signage directing users to off -streets parking facilities. This initiative is focused particularly on high -traffic areas and parking lots most frequently used by visitors but will encompass all facilities in the future. F4. Parking signage is not always visible. Signs themselves are small or inconspicuous. Additionally, in some cases, a sign is only visible from one direction when there are vehicular approaches from multiple directions. Without proper signage, locating convenient parking contributes to the perception of excessive walking distances. Response: The City disagrees partially with this finding. All parking signage has been sized and located in accordance with the guidance outlined in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD). As discussed in the response to Findings 3 above, the City is in process of signage improvements, with a focus on increased visibility and directional signage to parking locations. However, it should be noted that the City strives to provide for downtown signage and infrastructure that is subtle and discourages unnecessary clutter along business store fronts to maintain visual aesthetics within downtown. This delicate balance is continuously being evaluated by Staff with input from downtown business groups. F5. Pay station kiosks are often not clearly visible because they tend to blend into the surrounding background. As a result, visitors to downtown find it difficult to locate their closest pay station. This is especially problematic for new or occasional visitors to the downtown area. Response: The City disagrees partially with this finding. While the placement of kiosks adheres to accepted industry standards and ADA compliance, visual integration with surrounding structures, foliage, or parked vehicles can reduce kiosk visibility, particularly for new or occasional users. All of the 42 deployed kiosks have a 42"x30" sized "Pay Here" sign approximately 7 feet of the ground within the direct vicinity of the pay station and visitors in most cases will pass -by a pay station while walking from parked location to their final destination due the strategic placement of kiosks. In addition, the City offers the ability to pay by app or by text and information regarding use of those options are clearly identified at a minimum of two separate locations on every individual block face. In an effort to improve visibility, the City is implementing upgrades such as color -contrasting decals, and directional signage to improve kiosk recognition without disrupting the visual aesthetics of the downtown environment. F6. In many cases, a driver, once in a lot, cannot see the kiosk associated with that lot because it is hidden behind other parked vehicles. This inability to locate the appropriate pay station is a source of frustration and may even lead to the driver not knowing they are in a paid parking lot. Response: The City agrees with this finding. In some lots, kiosk sightlines may be impeded depending on parked vehicle placement or the surrounding environment. The kiosks all have "Pay Here" signage but depending on the angle of the individual parking stall the signage may be difficult to view. The City is reviewing these locations and exploring solutions such as elevated or directional signage, pavement markings, and refined landscaping to make kiosks and their associated signage more visible upon entry and from various points within the lot. Recommendations RI. Direct the City Manager to implement a process for quarterly monitoring and reporting of occupancy and turnover by December 31, 2025. Response: This recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted. City Council feels that staff are performing adequate monitoring of the parking program as well as providing adequate reporting to both City Council and the general public as described in the responses to Findings 1 and 2 stated previously. However, as development in the downtown area continues to occur, City Council anticipates the frequency or regularity of reporting to adjust accordingly with the pace of development within the downtown area. R2. Ensure that all off-street parking lot entrances are clearly identified as paid parking facilities by December 31, 2025. Response: This recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future, prior to December 31, 2025. While the City disagrees partially with the finding justifying this recommendation, the City recognizes that communication can always be improved and agrees to implement minor improvements. An inventory of all off-street facilities has been completed, and upgrades to entrance signage will begin in the near future. A minimal number of new signs will be installed where deficiencies were identified, including clearer indicators that the parking lot is part of the City's paid parking system. These upgrades will be completed utilizing efforts and resources that are already underway and scheduled for completion. R3. Install "You Are Here" signboards at lots and key on -street locations to show nearest pay stations and relevant information by December 31, 2025. These signboards should indicate the location of the nearest pay station and any other relevant parking information. This would significantly improve visitors' ability to locate the appropriate pay station for each parking zone and clarify any parking restrictions for that zone. Response: This recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted. The City supports improved wayfinding that integrates enhanced signage into its downtown wayfmding plan. However, full implementation of "You Are Here" boards at all key on -street locations will be prioritized based on cost, visibility needs, and site feasibility. In order to provide an affordable and cost-effective parking program, installation of additional signboards is not currently contemplated in the programs approved budget. However, the City has identified four existing wayfinding location maps that will be updated with "You are Here" information. R4. Modify size, color, and placement of signage to enhance visibility by July 1, 2026. Response: This recommendation will not be implemented, because it is not warranted. Although the City has plans to increase the sizes and adjust the locations of signage, the current colors will remain unchanged in order to remain in conformance with CAMUTCD color configuration guidelines and materials already procured. Implementation will occur in phases as existing signs are replaced or as part of broader parking system upgrades as resource constraints allow which may occur after the deadline as set forth. The City is also collaborating with private parking partners to align signage standards wherever possible for a more unified experience. R5. Ensure directional and/or informational signage is installed by December 31, 2025, that is clearly visible from the direction of each approach when there are multiple vehicular approaches to a parking area. Response: This recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future, prior to December 31, 2025. R6. Ensure pay stations are made more visible by December 31, 2025. Suggested visibility -enhancing improvements include: • Adding reflective striping to the kiosk to make it more visible. • Changing the color of the kiosk to a more visible color. • Adding lighting to each kiosk. • Installing raised signage at or above each kiosk similar to that found at some of the on -street pay stations. Response: This recommendation has been implemented. Reflective decals have been added to select kiosks, and raised signs have been adjusted in areas with poor visibility. The City of Redding remains committed to delivering a parking system that supports local businesses, accommodates future growth, and provides a positive experience for both residents and visitors. We appreciate the Grand Jury's thoughtful evaluation and believe the recommendations, will support ongoing program refinement. Sincerely, Jack Munns City of Redding Mayor cc. Honorable Council Members Barry Tippin, City Manager Christian Curtis, City Attorney Michael Webb, Director of Public Works Brian Barrier, Chief of Police Susan Wolf, Shasta County Grand Jury REDDING'S DOWNTOWN PAID PARKING PROGRAM 2024 — 2025 Shasta County Grand Jury 05/22/2025 SUMMARY The Shasta County Grand Jury investigated the City of Redding's (City) downtown paid parking program. In January 2023, the "Downtown Redding Parking Strategy " was implemented as an integral part of the City's "Downtown Redding Specific Plan Update " dated June 2022. The grand jury's investigation was prompted by questions and concerns raised by Redding residents, downtown business owners, and members of the Redding City Council regarding paid parking in the downtown areae. The grand jury's investigation sought to identify and evaluate the City's responses to these concerns. Specifically, the investigation examined the City's goals and objectives for the parking program and whether these goals are being met. GLOSSARY To aid in understanding certain terms in this report, the following definitions are provided: "Downtown Redding Parking Strategy"—The August 2019 report, developed by parking consultant firms Watry Design, Inc. and SpaceWorks, forms the basis for the City of Redding's strategic long-term and short-term parking plan, which was implemented in January 2023. "Strategy Area" – The downtown parking area, bounded by Shasta Street to the north, South Street to the south, West Street to the west, and East Street to the east (See Exhibit IV). "Core Area" – The smaller downtown parking area that falls within the north, south, and east boundaries of the "Strategy" area but is bounded on the west by California St. (See Exhibit IV). "Cost Neutral and Cost Neutrality" – These terms are used interchangeably to refer to the City of Redding's paid parking program, the objective of which is self-supporting, with all the costs of operating the program covered by revenues generated by the program itself. "Flowbird" – An application allowing parking software to be downloaded to a smartphone, enabling users to schedule and pay for downtown parking remotely using their debit or credit card. "Turnover" – frequency with which vehicles enter and exit a given parking area. 1 David Herenda, "Redding's Recent Downtown Parking Program Updates Sees Mixed Reviews Between City Staff", KRCR - Redding, May 23, 2024. BACKGROUND The City has had paid parking, initially using coin-operated meters, in the downtown area since 1947. Over time, coin-operated meters had become problematic for several reasons. The original meters: • accepted only nickels or dimes and could not be easily adapted to other coinage. • were susceptible to vandalism and theft. • contained replacement parts that had become increasingly expensive or were no longer available. As obsolete meters were removed, the City was left with a hodge-podge of metered and unmetered parking spaces, often adjacent to one another, throughout the City. Working meters were largely ignored by people who were confused by the presence of both metered and unmetered spaces in close proximity to one another, believing that the meters present were obsolete and inoperable. In 2016, the City contracted with a parking consultant firm to conduct a study of downtown parking supply and demand in conjunction with the planning consultants who developed the "Downtown Redding Specific Plan Update". As a result of these studies, the City hosted a series of public meetings through the Fall of 2021 and contracted with a second parking consulting firm to implement the proposed parking strategy. The stated overall goal of the new parking strategy is: "...to make the most efficient use of all public and private parking spaces in Downtown Redding, while planning for potential future demands that may necessitate the turnover of on -street parking spaces and the use of additional off-street parking" 2 Incorporating the consultants' recommendations and public input, the City prioritized specific objectives in support of the broad goal. Key among specific program objectives are to: • Replace aging and costly parking infrastructure (e.g., parking structures, leased parking areas, and coin-operated parking meters). • Develop a parking capacity adequate to sustain space occupancy rates, not to exceed 85% of available spaces. • Improve parking "Turnover" of on -street parking in the downtown Core area. • Address the need for longer-term parking for downtown employees. • Implement stated objectives with a self-supporting parking strategy that results in cost - neutrality to the City's General Fund. 2 Watry Design, Inc./PlaceWorks, "Downtown Redding Parking Strategy", City of Redding, August, 2019. The City's Public Works Department continuously monitors parking program costs and revenues. Exhibit I shows that progress toward the program's cost -neutrality objective is yielding positive results. Interviews with City staff indicate that, as certain equipment lease and [Source: City of Redding; Public Works Department, "Parking Operations Reports", 2023 and 20241 maintenance agreements expire, cost/revenue breakeven is expected in mid -2027, if not before. The availability of new off-street parking facilities strategically located electronic payment methods, and the issuance of parking permits for downtown employees has been largely achieved. The status of these objectives is monitored as part of monthly cost and revenue analysis conducted within the City's Transportation Department. Exhibit II on the next page shows the percentages of revenue derived from each payment method for 2023 and 2024. 3 ARKING OPERATIONS 2023 — 2024 1 Exhibit II 023 (Marc cember) 24 (Janua ecember) 1' yment Method Frequen of Use Amount Collected ' P meat Method Frequen of Use Amount Collected By Flowbird 191y $31,276 By Flowbird 22'x/® $44,091 By Meter 62% $94,511 By Meter 54% $10,4160 By Text 18% $31,716 By Text 23% $45,921 By Permit 2'Yo $37,725 By Permit 2''/o $56,325 Citations* -- $78,891 Citations* -- $65,776 Revenu $274,119 1 Revenue ' $316,273 * Citations influenced by other factors are excluded from the percentages. [Source: City of Redding, Public Works Department, "Parking Operations Reports". 2023 and 2024] The grand jury's investigation found little evidence indicating that objectives related to improved occupancy rates and increased parking turnover are monitored and reported regularly. (Occupancy, for example, has not been measured, as far as the grand jury could tell, since 2018). Because these indicators are signs of a more effective parking program, regular monitoring and public reporting on these metrics would go a long way toward alleviating some of the public's concerns about the paid parking program. Despite the City's public outreach efforts and perhaps due to the observed lack of published information regarding the achievement of key objectives, citizens, downtown business owners, and City Council members have raised questions about the efficacy of Redding's paid parking program. Concerns included: 1) The necessity for, and cost of, paid parking by downtown visitors and employees 2) Cost of the program vs. revenue from the program (cost neutrality) 3) Inadequate number of parking spaces, including low Turnover of parking near/in front of businesses, and lack of longer-term parking for downtown employees 4) Difficulty locating pay stations 5) Distance between pay stations and parking 6) Distance from parking to businesses 0 METHODOLOGY The grand jury investigation of the Redding downtown parking program was conducted over several months and included: • Review of City online and printed publications • Review of City staff recommendations to City Council • Review of social media discussions • Review of local media reporting • Review of parking consultant reports • Interviews with employees of the City of Redding and the Redding Chamber of Commerce DISCUSSION NECESSITY FOR AND COST OF PAID PARKING BY INDIVIDUALS Patrons' most frequently asked question is, "Why do we have to pay to park downtown, especially when the City is trying to encourage people to frequent downtown businesses?" The answer is simply that parking is not a free commodity. In addition to the opportunity cost of allocating valuable commercial real estate to downtown parking spaces (as opposed to retail, residential, and other commercial uses), there are recurring costs associated with the administration, enforcement, and maintenance of parking facilities. It is essential to note that the stated objective of the City's Downtown Redding Parking Strategy, published in August 2019, is not to generate revenue beyond covering the costs of a self-sustaining downtown parking program. Exhibit III shows that Redding's rates align with those of other Northern California cities' downtown paid parking programs. Revenue generated from paid parking, including a portion of parking citations, is allocated toward system and facility maintenance, program administration, and Redding s,e,e,e,e,e,e,$1a001hra ®F, 6:00 am -6:00 pm Chico ...................$1.00/hr. M -F, 9:00 am -6:00 pm Sacramento ......... $3.00-15.00/hr.* M -Su, Times vary* San Francisco .....$0.50-10.25/hr.* M-Sa, Times vary* *Varies by time of day and location parking enforcement. As such, the question facing the City and the public is, who should pay these costs? 5 (1) The patrons (through parking fees) who are using the downtown parking (a pay -for -use approach) or; (2) All taxpayers in the City of Redding (through property and sales taxes), whether or not they use downtown parking facilities. Based on information gathered from public meetings held throughout the fall of 2021, input from downtown business owners, research on what other cities of comparable size were doing, and recommendations from parking consultants, City officials chose the pay -for -use approach to fund downtown parking. COST OF THE PROGRAM VS. REVENUE FROM THE PROGRAM From a cost/revenue perspective, the goal is for the downtown parking program to be cost - neutral to the City's General Fundi. The revenue generated by the downtown parking program will be used solely to cover the cost of maintaining and operating the parking program. It is not intended to be an independent revenue source for other City operations. As a key element of the City's downtown parking program, the City's Public Works Department continuously monitors this metric. Exhibit I, shown earlier, indicates the cost/revenue behavior from the implementation of the current program from March 2023 through December 2024 and illustrates the relatively high upfront cost of implementation, accompanied by relatively low revenue generated at the outset. The City predicts that a convergence of expenses and revenue (the breakeven point) will occur in mid -2027, if not before, as operating equipment lease costs expire and downtown traffic increases. INADEQUATE PARKING SPACES AVAILABLE This section addresses three concerns: inadequate parking spaces, parking Turnover near or in front of businesses, and a lack of longer-term parking for downtown employees. These concerns directly contribute to the perceived lack of available downtown parking. The "Downtown Redding Parking Strategy" categorizes downtown parking into the two areas outlined in Exhibit IV on the next page: a larger "Strategy" area and a downtown "Core" area located within the "Strategy" area. 3 Public Works Department, `Report to the City Council", City of Redding, October 18, 2022. 3 Exhibit IV 6' , Silka k Y 33 onm t o c,e %A 5� t as i' ri57: Ca 4 a�fi mill- re d � s �' affi 1SIPA s„ teCn'a�'s re 9�mi OIL. ar� ti.%p, fid,, t 1Le3d k. 00rt'15OF Rai A w 4� IWO 1 3 Y at m vus " ' 100 re Y �t �� , � �3��ti�;�� moi&% ti° §SIR < Gi ypY°' q ". Asa 4° fats # X43 p, u '1; M k Parking Strategy Boundary _ _ DOWNTOWN STRATEGY AND Downtown Core District Boundary CORE PARKING AREAS [Source: Watry Design, Inc., "Downtown Redding Parking Strategy", City of'Redding, August 20191 In May 2017, and updated in 2018, City staff physically counted occupied stalls for the Core and Strategy areas.4 The count was conducted on weekdays between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. The findings of the count were: • The Core area was parked at 58% of capacity (1,476 occupied spaces of 2,543 spaces total) • The overall Strategy area was parked at 55% of capacity (2,504 occupied spaces of 4,598 spaces total) 4 Watry Design, Inc., "Downtown Redding Parking Demand Analysis ", City of Redding, September 14, 2018. 7 These numbers indicate ample parking availability downtown to maintain occupancy at no more than 85%. It is worth noting, however, that (a) the City staff's counting took place at a time that includes the usual lunch hour, and (b) the Core area, at 58% occupancy, is included within the Strategy area. (Note: the impact of lunch-hour parking is not addressed in this study.) The fact that the overall Strategy area, including the Core area, has an occupancy rate lower than the Core by itself indicates a significant underutilization of spaces outside the Core. Exhibit V below shows that even with a projected overall decrease in total parking spaces, by eliminating parking areas leased by the City and increasing off-street parking facilities within the Core, parking utilization within the Core will increase dramatically by the final phase of development while still maintaining the goal of a minimum of 15% available spaces. Core Current Parking Supply Total - 2596 Available Spaces Core Phase III Parking Supply Total - 2461 Underutilized Spaces [Source: City of Redding, Watry Design/PZaceWorks, August 20191 At the time of the parking consultant's study in 2019, one of the factors identified as contributing to the perceived lack of downtown parking was the fact that a large number of employees work for extended periods in the downtown. Core and occupy on -street parking spaces close to the businesses at which they are employed, including at the curb in front of their businesses. This reduced the turnover of parking spaces and the availability of prime locations, which would otherwise be available for customer parking. The introduction of time-limited and paid on -street parking significantly impacted these downtown employees. The increase in convenient off-street parking helped alleviate some of the impacts, but the economic burden on employees due to paid parking remained an issue. In response, the City now offers a limited number of monthly parking permits for downtown employees at $25 per month. The maximum daily cost of parking downtown without a permit is $10.00 ($8.00 maximum in parking garages) per day. With a $25 per month permit, the daily cost [$25 _ 20 workdays/month] is $1.25 per day. The combination of these actions and active enforcement of parking restrictions will impact both the availability of spaces and convenient, longer-term parking for downtown employees. It is also noted that the City, responding to public -Available Spaces [Source: City of Redding, Watry Design/PZaceWorks, August 20191 At the time of the parking consultant's study in 2019, one of the factors identified as contributing to the perceived lack of downtown parking was the fact that a large number of employees work for extended periods in the downtown. Core and occupy on -street parking spaces close to the businesses at which they are employed, including at the curb in front of their businesses. This reduced the turnover of parking spaces and the availability of prime locations, which would otherwise be available for customer parking. The introduction of time-limited and paid on -street parking significantly impacted these downtown employees. The increase in convenient off-street parking helped alleviate some of the impacts, but the economic burden on employees due to paid parking remained an issue. In response, the City now offers a limited number of monthly parking permits for downtown employees at $25 per month. The maximum daily cost of parking downtown without a permit is $10.00 ($8.00 maximum in parking garages) per day. With a $25 per month permit, the daily cost [$25 _ 20 workdays/month] is $1.25 per day. The combination of these actions and active enforcement of parking restrictions will impact both the availability of spaces and convenient, longer-term parking for downtown employees. It is also noted that the City, responding to public input, does provide some time-limited free parking in areas where the visitor only plans to park for a short time. Examples include loading and unloading zones, downtown post office parking, etc. To encourage adherence to new parking ordinances, Redding is taking a two-pronged (what might be called a "carrot -and -stick") approach to parking enforcement using some of the latest technology available: First, it makes the payment of parking fees as easy as possible for patrons (addressed in the next section), and second, it is enforcing the City's parking ordinances. Paid parking compliance in the downtown Core is enforced by Redding Police Department (RPD) personnel. At the time of this report, a single RPD parking enforcement officer is assigned to parking enforcement. That officer is provided a dedicated parking enforcement vehicle (Exhibit VI) with advanced license plate reading (LPR) hardware and software. This LPR technology can read the license plates of parked vehicles while the enforcement vehicle is in motion and compare those readings with a database of license plate numbers of legally parked vehicles. The database is updated in real-time each time a payment is made through one of the parking pay stations (such as the one circled in the above picture), Flowbird, text, or when a payment expires. License numbers of permit holders are similarly maintained in the database. Exhibit VII shows that, at the time of this report, parking citations are $24.50 per violation, which compares favorably with parking fines found in other northern California cities. Revenue generated by Redding's parking violations is shared, with approximately $11.45 (47%) going to the City and $13.05 (53%), by statute, going directly to the state court system. Exhibit VII COMPARATIVE PARKING FINES Redding o..e.e.e __$24M Chico ................... $24.00 Sacramento ........ $60.00 San Francisco ..... $96.00 The pay stations themselves are aesthetically pleasing, blending well into the overall theme being created for downtown. However, these kiosks are not easily identifiable as places to pay for parking. Exhibit VI supports this, and it is especially true for the occasional visitor to downtown. M DISTANCE BETWEEN PAY STATIONS AND PARKING Exhibit VIII illustrates that pay stations are located throughout the downtown area. They are generally no more than a block away from the parking area to which they are assigned. Each pay [Source: wwwAt o reddingfx Boni; "Downtown Parking" City of Redding/ station has a designated parking zone that it covers. Payments can be made at the pay station for that parking zone in cash and/or by credit/debit card, via text message using a smartphone, or through the "Flowbird" application, which can be downloaded and installed on the patron's 10 smartphone. Payments using the "text" and/or "Flowbird" methods enable fee payment without requiring the driver to leave their parked vehicle. DISTANCE FROM PARKING TO BUSINESSES With time-limited on -street parking now available in the downtown Core, concerns have arisen that the distance between off-street parking and downtown businesses is excessive. The 2019 parking consultant's study addressed these concerns. Exhibit IX illustrates the distances from the planned Core -area off-street parking to various elements of the downtown Core. [Source: Watry Design/PZaceWorks, "Downtown Redding Parking Strategy", City of Redding; August 20191 As of this report, the planned off-street parking areas are now in place. Patrons visiting businesses in the downtown Core can, by selecting off-street parking facilities nearest their ultimate destination, be within no more than 600 feet (approximately two City blocks) of their destination. The difficulties the grand jury encountered in its investigation were not so much the distances from parking to the target destination, but rather, locating off-street parking nearest the target destination. Exhibit shows parking distances from the most remote parking locations using four local shopping and entertainment examples. The spaces at each venue are located at distances from the venue's main entrance, which aligns with those indicated in the 2019 parking consultant's study concerning off-street parking in the downtown Core. However, as previously discussed, the [Source: Watr^y Design/PZaceWorks, "Downtown Redding Parking Strategy'; City of Redding; August 20191 challenges users face downtown may stem more from drivers struggling to locate the nearest 12 parking area for their intended destination rather than the actual distance of the nearest off-street parking to their destination. FINDINGS The Shasta County Grand Jury has found that: F1. The City's Transportation Department staff monitors cost and revenue performance, as well as payment methods used, to measure the success or failure of the program's financial objectives. The grand jury found no evidence that monitored results are regularly communicated to the City Council and the general public, so it is unclear if objectives are being met. F2. Two key goals of the parking program (maintaining an available parking capacity of 15% or greater and improving parking turnover) are not being regularly monitored or reported. Failure to monitor these two metrics leaves open the question of whether the City's objective of achieving the "most efficient use of all public and private parking spaces in downtown Redding" is being met. F3. Entrances to off-street parking are not always clearly marked, contributing to (a) difficulty locating off-street parking, (b) the perception of a lack of downtown parking, and (c) drivers parking at distances greater than necessary from their destination. These issues contribute to the perception of excessive walking distances when closer parking might have been available. F4. Parking signage is not always visible. Signs themselves are small or inconspicuous. Additionally, in some cases, a sign is only visible from one direction when there are vehicular approaches from multiple directions. Without proper signage, locating convenient parking contributes to the perception of excessive walking distances. F5. Pay station kiosks are often not clearly visible because they tend to blend into the surrounding background. As a result, visitors to downtown find it difficult to locate their closest pay station. This is especially problematic for new or occasional visitors to the downtown area. F6. In many cases, a driver, once in a lot, cannot see the kiosk associated with that lot because it is hidden behind other parked vehicles. This inability to locate the appropriate pay station is a source of frustration and may even lead to the driver not knowing they are in a paid parking lot. 13 RECOMMENDATIONS The Shasta County Grand Jury recommends that: Rl . On or before July 1, 2025, the Redding City Council direct the City Manager to implement, by December 31, 2025, a process of monitoring and reporting key metrics (including parking occupancy and parking turnover rates) to the City Council on at least a quarterly basis. R2. On or before July 1, 2025, the Redding City Council direct the City Manager to ensure that all entrances to off-street parking lots are clearly identified by December 31, 2025, including signage indicating that those lots are paid parking facilities. R3. On or before July 1, 2025, the Redding City Council direct the City Manager to ensure that conspicuous "You Are Here " type signboards are installed at each off-street parking lot and at various on -street locations throughout the downtown Core by December 31, 2025. These signboards should indicate the location of the nearest pay station and any other relevant parking information. This would significantly improve visitors' ability to locate the appropriate pay station for each parking zone and clarify any parking restrictions for that zone. R4. On or before July 1, 2025, the Redding City Council direct the City Manager to ensure the modification of the size, color, and placement of informational and directional parking - related signs by July 1, 2026, to make them more obvious to visitors in the downtown Core. R5. On or before July 1, 2025, the Redding City Council direct the City Manager to ensure directional and/or informational signage is installed by December 31, 2025, that is clearly visible from the direction of each approach when there are multiple vehicular approaches to a parking area. R6. On or before July 1, 2025, the Redding City Council direct the City Manager to ensure pay stations are made more visible by December 31, 2025. Suggested visibility -enhancing improvements include: • Adding reflective striping to the kiosk to make it more visible. • Changing the color of the kiosk to a more visible color. • Adding lighting to each kiosk. • Installing raised signage at or above each kiosk similar to that found at some of the on - street pay stations. 14 SOURCES AND REFERENCES City of Redding Reports and Available Publications • Public Works Department, "Parking Operations, " City of Redding, 2023 and 2024 • P1aceWorks, `Downtown Redding Specific Plan Update," City of Redding, April 2022 • Public Works Department, "Report to Redding City Council", City of Redding, April 16, 2024 • Public Works Department, "Report to Redding City Council", City of Redding, August 18, 2022 • Public Works Department, "Report to Redding City Council", City of Redding, September 9, 2024 • Steven Kincaid, "Downtown Off -Street Parking", City of Redding, August 3, 2017 Local Media Reporting • anewscafe.com "Downtown Redding Business People Unhappy With City's New Parking System ", September 19, 2023 • KRCR, David Herenda, "Redding's Recent Downtown Parking Program Updates Sees Mixed Reviews Between City Staff", Redding, May 23, 2024 • City of Redding, Sonix Podcast, "Downtown Redding Parking", January 15, 2025 Consultant Studies/Reports • Watry Design/SpaceWorks, Downtown Redding Parking Strategy", City of Redding, August 2019 • Watry Design/SpaceWorks, `Downtown Redding Parking Demand Analysis", City of Redding, August 2019 Interviews • City Administrative Staff, City of Redding • City Transportation Staff, City of Redding • Administrative staff, Redding Chamber of Commerce REQUEST FOR RESPONSES The following responses are required pursuant to Penal Code sections 933 and 933.05: • Redding City Council, F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, and F6 within 90 days • Redding City Council, Rl, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 within 90 days 15 DISCLAIMERS Reports issued by the Grand Jury do not identify the individuals interviewed. Penal Code section 929 requires that reports of the Grand Jury not contain the name of any person or facts that could lead to the identity of any person who provides information to the Grand Jury. 16