AgdaPkt 2004-02-09 - Laserfiche WebLink

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IREPORT To the Honorable Mayor and City CouncilI From the City ManagerJ February 9, 2004 Subject Informational Report on the Parking Management Plan for the Scott Peterson Trial Background On January 20, 2004, Redwood City learned that the Scott Peterson trial in Modesto had been granted a change of venue to Redwood City. The preliminary hearing was a huge media event with large numbers of media personnel, media equipment, and onlookers. Police staff visited Modesto and studied recent media cases in Santa Maria and Los Angeles to help prepare tactically for the possibility of needing to park dozens of broadcast trucks including several satellite trucks over 36 feet in length, another dozen smaller 30 foot trucks and several dozen microwave transmission vans. Additionally, dozens more media support vehicles would need to be accommodated in the downtown area. Police staff working in conjunction with other City departments finatly settled on a plan to close most of Middlefield Road between Veterans and Bradford near the Hall of Justice to accommodate broadcast vehicles as well as a plan based on Modesto's staffing during the Peterson preliminary hearing to use police personnel around the clock to ensure the safety and security of the site. Staff also created a small parking lot on Bradford to help alleviate overflow parking from media support vehicles. The Modesto Police Department successfully recovered part of their costs to stage the media event by charging media organizations $250 a day for 12 foot by 12 foot tent spaces on a closed city street near the Stanislaus County courthouse. Additionally, Stanislaus County had charged $25,000, split among the big six networks, to park on a County vacant lot near the courthouse. Staff is designing a similar strategy for cost recovery in Redwood City--asking broadcast media to purchase monthly parking permits for Middlefield Road. Media was provided an initial figure of $7,500 for the first month--S250 a day payable monthly--and assured the media the price would not rise and, in fact, may be adjusted down once it was clear what police staffing needs were actually required. This figure assumed that the trial would start February 2, 2004 without interruption. The trial has had several long interruptions and staffing needs have fallen and the initial estimate of $7,500 for February will be adjusted down. Staffs philosophy in determining fees was based on cost recovery for staging the event, not to generate revenue. Staff is also proposing a $200 a month permit fee for the newly created parking lot also as an effort to recover the cost of creating this parking lot (for media vehicles so they don't use up downtown parking spaces). This fee equates to less than $10 per weekday. Currently the case is under a one week recess as the defense attorney is involved in another murder case in Southern California. The sides re-convene on February 9, 2004 to attempt to set a trial date. We do not expect the trial to start for at least two weeks after this hearing and the delay may be even longer. It is possible that opening arguments in the case will not commence until early April.