Municipal Services Committee Receives 2023 Annual Parking Utility Report – Parking Utility Had Net Revenue Of $100,000 In 2023 Because It Received $500,000 In ARPA Funds

The Municipal Services Committee met 04/22/2024. As an information item, they received the 2023 Annual Parking Utility Report.

I’ve prepared a transcript of the discussion for download:

The report was fairly brief.

They reviewed the parking inventory and parking ramp features, and noted that in 2023 they increased the monthly ramp permit fee to $40 and implemented new daily parking rates of $3 for up to 4 hours and $6 for more than 4 hours. They also started performing repairs and maintenance that had been identified as necessary in a 2022 condition assessment report.

Director of Public Works Danielle Block also briefly touched on a number of Parking Utility projects and plans for 2024.

An item that was not highlighted in the presentation but which was brought up by Alderperson Sheri Hartzheim (District 13) during the Question-and-Answer portion of the discussion was the fact that in 2023, Parking Utility revenue only outpaced expenses because the Parking Utility had been allocated $544,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds. In 2023, Parking Utility revenue (including the ARPA funds) amounted to $3,282,608. Total expenses were $2,078,792, and the utility still had $1,099,000 of uncompleted maintenance work budgeted for and contracted in 2023 that was carried over to 2024. That left a net revenue of $104,816. If the Parking Utility had depended solely on income from fees and citations and had not received $544,000 in ARPA funds, it’s 2023 expenses would have been $439,184 more than it brought in.

Another item touched on during the discussion was the increase in citations in 2022 and 2023 as compared to previous years. Alderperson Denise Fenton (District 6) asked if that was because the city was more rigorously enforcing its parking rules or were people breaking the rules more often.

Director Block thought it could be a combination of both. The parking enforcement division was consistently at full staffing levels than it had been in previous years. There were also more cars downtown.

Alderperson Fenton also asked what percentage of payment at parking meters was happening through the passport app versus putting physical coins in the meters. Director Block said a majority of people still used coins. She did not have a break down of the percentage of people who used coins versus those who paid via the app.

View full meeting details and video here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1192632&GUID=BCAD8CE2-9767-4F74-92EE-4C53CD9B8C57