Administration Procedure Committee approves parking agreement for Hobbs building residents

The Administration Procedure Committee voted June 16 to approve a resolution authorizing a parking arrangement to serve residents of the Hobbs building.

Brian Caputo, chief operating officer, told the committee the obligation traces to a prior redevelopment agreement and a 2019 agreement amended in 2021. "What the agreement provides for is for us to allocate parking spaces in the Tivoli parking deck when it becomes available to us," Caputo said. He said the city will provide an interim administrative arrangement that allows Hobbs residents to use designated spaces in H lot until the Tivoli deck opens, which Caputo said is expected sometime in 2027.

Under the approved arrangement, the city will sell resident hanging tags for spaces in H lot at $30 per month. "The amount of the parking pass will be $30 a month," Caputo said, adding that overnight parking will be permitted and the city will remove vehicles that are dilapidated, have flat tires or expired plates.

Alderman White pressed for clarification on rates and future increases, asking whether permits would rise from $30 to $40. Caputo replied that $40 is the current gold overnight rate for the Tivoli deck and that all downtown permits remain subject to periodic rate adjustments: "Whatever the other downtown rates... increase to in the future, we would expect to do the same thing with these permits." He also said permits will not be tied to a specific numbered space; the city will paint and reserve the number of spaces that match how many permits are sold.

Caputo said there are 31 housing units in the Hobbs building and that H lot has roughly 60 available spaces. He said residents will buy passes directly from the city, while the formal agreement is with the developer: the developer has signed the agreement and the administration has sent explanatory letters to residents. "This is an agreement with the developer. The residents are buying parking passes direct from the city," Caputo said.

The committee recorded a 5-0 vote to approve resolution 26-0359. Earlier in the meeting, members also authorized Alderwoman Shweta Baid to participate remotely under section 2-80 (motion by Vice Chair Daniel Burrell; second by Alderman at large Will Wyatt; recorded 4-0) and approved minutes from the June 2 committee meeting (item 26-0360) by a 5-0 vote.

The committee adjourned at 3:12 p.m.