Committee asks staff to propose permit pricing as pilot's upfront costs could reach six figures

Committee members pressed staff Sept. 23 to develop a clear funding plan for the proposed overnight parking pilot after hearing preliminary cost estimates for physical preparation and first-year administration.

Consultant Andy Hill summarized the preliminary budget: about $47,000 of the physical-prep estimate was attributed to signage and curb markings, with the broader physical-preparation figure near $115,000 once labor and contingency are included. Hill also estimated roughly $9,000 for engineering design and suggested administrative monitoring and reporting could run about $90,000 annually. "We're we're estimating that you're probably looking at spending something in the order of about $115,000 to physically prepare this area uh for this pilot," Hill said.

Alderman Dow urged that one-time capital outlays be amortized over multiple years rather than borne entirely in a single budget year, saying the sign and paint work should be treated as a multi-year asset: "that's a onetime cost and it ought to be allocated over 10 15 maybe 20 years." Staff acknowledged the city would need to choose whether the program is subsidized, fee-supported, or some combination, and the committee asked staff to return with permit-price scenarios and a proposed funding approach.