AgdaPkt 2019-06-24 Joint SA PFA - Laserfiche WebLink

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6.K. - Page 2 of 7 ANALYSIS Over the past several years, Redwood City has experienced a dramatic rise in the number of parking related complaints and has seen increasing demands from its residents to proactively address the issue of limited and highly impacted parking in residential neighborhoods. A significant component of the City's response to these complaints is the Police Department's Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program. Through the program, residents can report vehicles they believe are in violation of Redwood City Code 20.95, which prohibits parking a vehicle on any City street for more than 72 consecutive hours without being lawfully operated. Officers investigate these complaints, mark reported vehicles with a warning and then return 72 or more hours later to determine if it is in violation. The warning notice advises vehicle owners that failure to move their vehicle as required by the ordinance can result in either a citation or tow. The chart below summarizes the number of 72 -hour violation complaints officers investigated and the number of vehicles actually towed annually for a five-year period, 2014-18. 72 -Hour Violations Year Complaints Investigated Vehicles Towed 2014 3419 155 2015 4077 211 2016 3509 224 2017 3904 247 2018 6401 235 The high number of complaints investigated and the comparatively small number of actual tows for 72 - hour violations demonstrate the effectiveness the threat of a tow has in motivating a vehicle owner to comply. Removing this incentive to comply will likely lead to more violations. Additionally, passage of AB 516 would eliminate the City's ability to tow for yet another violation, vehicles with excessive expired registration. The Police Department currently tows an average of approximately 300 vehicles per year for excessive expired registration. This change, taken together with the changes to 72 -hour violations, would result in hundreds of out of compliance vehicles remaining on streets each year with no legal means to remove them, further exacerbating the problem of limited parking and leading to even greater frustration amongst our residents. In discussing AB 516, the Governance Sub -Committee considered the potential for disproportionate impact the removal or immobilization of vehicles can have on the homeless and economically disadvantaged. In particular, individuals who are unable to pay tow fees, accumulated registration fees or parking fees could end up without use of a vehicle, which in turn limits their ability to sustain employment and threatens their financial stability. At the same time, removing these parking enforcement tools as proposed by AB 516 would have unintentional consequences far beyond protecting the interests of these groups and would generate broad negative impacts on the quality of life and community as a whole. For these reasons, the Governance Sub -Committee recommends that the City Council oppose AB 516 and believes these issues are better addressed at the local level according to the needs of the local community. In opposing AB 516, the City's intent is to continue current parking enforcement practices. Additionally, City of Redwood City 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, CA. 94063 Tel: 650-780-7000 www.redwoodcity.ore 107