Parking Commission.

411 West First Street City of Duluth Duluth, Minnesota 55802 Minutes Parking Commission. Friday, November 6, 2020 7:30 AM Council Chambers, 3rd Floor, City Hall NOTICE: The Duluth Parking Commission will be holding its July 2020 meeting by other electronic means pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Section 13D.021 in response to the COVID-19 emergency. Some members of the Commission will be participating through video conference. Due to the COVID-19 emergency and the closure of City facilities, public comment will not be taken in person. However, members of the public can monitor the meeting and provide public comment on agenda items through WebEx Events. Visit https://duluthmn.gov/live-meeting to access the meeting. The public is also encouraged to submit written comment to Parking Services Manager Mark Bauer at mbauer@duluthmn.gov prior to the meeting. Please include “Duluth Parking Commission July 2020 Agenda” in the subject line, and include your name and address and the agenda item you are speaking to. Please note that all public comment is considered Public Data. ROLL CALL Members Present • Dennis Jensen • Noland Makowsky • Jessica Sterle, President • Terese Tomanek • Em Westerlund • Mark Bauer, Ex Officio Members Absent • Linda Krug • Karin Swor Guests Present • Carl Crawford, Human Rights Officer – City of Duluth • Ari Eilola, Duluth Area Manager – Interstate Parking Company APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approval of October 2020 meeting minutes Commissioner Terese Tomanek motioned that the October 2020 parking commission meeting minutes be approved as presented. Commissioner Em Westerlund seconded the motion, which was approved 4-0 (Commissioner Noland Makowsky had not yet been able to access the online meeting for this vote). ON-STREET ADA ZONE REQUEST On-street accessible parking requests City of Duluth Page 1 Parking Commission. Minutes November 6, 2020 City of Duluth Parking Services Manager Mark Bauer presented one on-street ADA accessible parking zone request. He stated that the request had been reviewed and the site visited, and he noted that the parking division recommended approval. Commissioner Dennis Jensen motioned that the request for 28 West Village View Drive be approved. Commissioner Tomanek seconded the motion, which was approved 5-0. PROPOSAL TO REMOVE CERTAIN ON-STREET METERS FOR BUS STOPS Discussion of changes to on-street parking related to Duluth Transit Authority operations Mr. Bauer described upcoming changes to on-street parking that would coincide with a test of a new circulator bus route by the Duluth Transit Authority that would add a bus stop that would temporarily eliminate two on-street parking meters on 12th Avenue East. Mr. Bauer stated that because the need was temporary, parking commission approval was not currently needed but that he would present the item for commission approval in the future should the need become permanent. PROPOSAL TO CREATE TWO-STALL TEN-MINUTE DROP-OFF ZONE AT 201 EAST SUPERIOR STREET Proposal to convert two 80-minute stalls on East Superior Street to a ten-minute drop-off zone Mr. Bauer presented a proposal to convert the equivalent of two 80-minute parking stalls at 301 East Superior Street to a ten-minute drop-off zone. He stated that the request had been generated by the redeveloper of the adjacent Temple Opera building, who indicated a need for the new zone by future building tenants and visitors. Commission President Jessica Sterle inquired whether surrounding businesses had been surveyed regarding the proposal. Mr. Bauer stated that because the zone borders only the Temple Opera property a survey had been deemed not applicable. Mr. Bauer also stated that the conversion did not involve the loss of any ADA/accessible parking. Commissioner Jensen motioned that the proposal be approved. Commission Vice President Noland Makowsky seconded the motion, which was approved 5-0. PROPOSAL TO REMOVE ONE METERED STALL AT 200 WEST 1ST STREET AND REPLACE WITH NO PARKING ZONE Proposal to convert one 80-minute parking stall on West First Street to a no-parking zone Mr. Bauer presented a proposal to prohibit parking equivalent to the length of one on-street parking stall directly to the west of the Holiday parking ramp entrance lane on the lower side of the 200 block of West 1st Street. He stated that the request had been generated by a party whose vehicle had collided with another while exiting the parking ramp. Mr. Bauer stated that the party had suggested that a parking prohibition at the referenced location could serve to provide enhanced sightlines for drivers. Commissioner Westerlund motioned that the proposal be approved. Commissioner Makowsky seconded the motion, City of Duluth Page 2 Parking Commission. Minutes November 6, 2020 which was approved 5-0. OFF-STREET PARKING UPDATE Off-street parking update Interstate Parking Company Duluth Area Manager Ari Eilola provided an update on off-street parking operations. He stated that the off-street parking system’s number of total monthly contracts had been remaining relatively consistent at about 1800 and that parking operations had been going well. ON-STREET PARKING UPDATE On-street parking update Mr. Bauer provided an update on on-street parking operations. He stated that brochures regarding the City’s new snow emergency initiative had been produced and were in the process of being distributed and described the primary features of the initiative, which featured public parking elements. City of Duluth Human Rights Officer Carl Crawford provided additional detail on the sidewalk clearing portion of the initiative. Commissioner Westerlund inquired whether the requirement for the public to move their vehicles from one side of the street to the other, under the City’s alternate side parking ordinance, applied year-round. Mr. Bauer replied that it did. Commissioners Westerlund and Jensen suggested that there was some lack of clarity on the year-round nature of the alternate side parameters and that this point should be made clearer in future iterations of the brochure. Commissioner Tomanek suggested that dedicated public telephone “hotline” regarding the initiative be considered by the City. Commissioner Sterle suggested that the Park Duluth mobile parking payment application also be used to distribute information. PUBLIC COMMENTS Public comments There were no additional public comments. ADJOURNMENT City of Duluth Page 3