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PACKET Town Board Study Session 2021-10-26
October 26, 2021 4:20 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. Board Room 5:25 p.m. -Dinner In Person Meeting – Mayor, Trustees, Staff and Public To view or listen to the Study Session by Zoom Webinar ONLINE (Zoom Webinar): https://zoom.us/j/91077906778 Webinar ID: 910 7790 6778 CALL-IN (Telephone Option): 877-853-5257 (toll-free) Meeting ID: 910 7790 6778 If you are joining the Zoom meeting and are experiencing technical difficulties, staff will be available by phone for assistance 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting at 970-577-4777. 4:20 p.m. Estes Park Grand Prix. (RaceCO owner Benes & RaceCO CEO Gardner) 4:40 p.m. Proposed 2022 Ballot Questions. (Town Clerk Williamson) 5:25 p.m. Break for Dinner. 5:35 p.m. Paid Parking Program Results and Recommendations for 2022. (Manager Solesbee) 6:35 p.m. Trustee & Administrator Comments & Questions. 6:40 p.m. Future Study Session Agenda Items. (Board Discussion) 6:45 p.m. Adjourn for Town Board Meeting. Informal discussion among Trustees concerning agenda items or other Town matters may occur before this meeting at approximately 4:00 p.m. AGENDA TOWN BOARD STUDY SESSION Page 1 Page 2 ,-;, :::::�=:.�:;;.;�s�tes Park Grand Prix June 24-26, 2022 •A 2 day professional vintage car race festival based at theEstes Park Events Complex. •Approximately 150 drivers in many different classes racing allday Saturday and Sunday with a surrounding festivalencompassing the entire Fairgrounds property. •In short -A three day festival interrupted by a bit ofracing Page 3 t:a.nt.l. • • bt th eti• or two b1111dre<t lnbmbl• History The Estes Park Roa Race began in the 1940s post war and continued into at least the 1960s. Auto Racing in Estes Park dates back to 1925 Results Of State's Biggest Events Ln C•ylord, eau.blbMII new fut time tor Gtor1ttown Alpln'e Trlals. wlUI time or 1 02. 'I. Yollow.cl :.!ONiy by John Johant1en, who ai.o broke latl yHr'1 r!K.'Ord with • tlme ot S.03.1. A complete lilt �f orridal times, q 1upplil!d by the oftldal llmen or the Alpine Trl1l1 folio.,,,.: Second Annual Georgetown Alpine _Ffil_F.S_P_AR_K_ ornc�i!!.5uL� June 7• 1953 ROAD RACF.S Clua 5 Wo-n·• Open I No, 45 -R. F. Sutherlin, JUNE JI, IHS No. 10 -Caroline Moe,man, :use, MG. cia. B 347.8, J11uar XK120. No. 17- R. W. Mwnll, 3.43.2, S,000-S,IOOCC No. a- Dorttn Ph• PPII, 4 CH 1, S1■1-, lit - Kun Kircher - Allard MG. No 2 - Or. John W. 8e l'T)', No. I!. No. Zt - O a t H e l l r r . 4.CNU. 3 "8.0, MG, Who are we? Estes Park has been chosen as the site for the 16th Annua Pike's Peak Sporls Car Pen lathlon, one or the state's mos popular and unusual auto eve.,t.s. Scheduled for the weekend or Septmeber 6 and 7, the Pentathlon Is held at a different location In Colorado each year, and Is sponsored by the Pike's Peak Sports Car Club of Colorado Springs. Contestants will be competing for a IDtal of ninety trophes, awarded for the Clve evl!nts taking place over the weekend, Including a special award from the Est.es Park camber of' Commerce for the best entrant In all evenls. The flve evenls will Include the Concourse Competition, an emlbltlon and judging of antique autos, and a rally on Saturday. Sunday's events will conslat of a Hill Bllmb competition, speed trials, and "AulD Cross," designed ID test the skill and dexterity of the drivers on a paved road. Special events during the Pcn!Bthlon, In addlUon to the awards ceremony on Sunday, will Include a Oluck Wagon Dinner for all parliclpanls and their ramUles Saturday evening at the Lazy-8 Ranch Entrance In the competition Is open to th public, wid there Is an ·ntry r.. or $4 l)('r •vent or 15 for all 5 even . We are the Estes Park Racing Company, an events company with 30 combined years of experience putting on the biggest races & events in North America, including many in Estes Park. For the Grand Prix we are partnering with ock ounta· age ac!!J.9. - a nonprofit of over 500 members. Page 4 •300-600 room nights for racers •500-800+ room nights for spectators •Each racer & family spends an estimated $1,500 per racerwith a wide net worth gap. They book modest lodging &services all the way to the highest levels of luxury. •1,500-5,000 high value spectators - A late June guest thatwill spend their entire stay in Estes Park shopping, eating,sleeping and watching the races. •Thousands of dollars to multiple Estes Valley nonprofits. •National recognition with tentative NBC partnership. J' � What are we asking from the ::::::: Town Board? . 3 year commitment on permitting the Town road closures . 3 years of Events Complex, first right of refusal for the same weekend . A chance to address any questions or concerns directly from the Town Board and Community. Page 5 ut,yplaces QSeniorcruzensCente< '�� �:�::���plex EstesParkGllll/Archl'ry Clubln<SoorRar,oe QsianleyPark8allF!eld A 68 Watl!f BarrieB Lake fS/es -Racelrack ...., P1tOutandGrid .... Q p,an1ordAve Manford Ave TlieV1llagefhr1ftShopQ Q RooftOPRO<leoQ llnPat1P\lb&Gtlll H&R81odt E11ttPa1kMemoftal ObseNa\Gry 1ree.....-a1 hlH Parko• <t Q BIH P,rk Pet lodgio / MounMlnTO!) � Pretchool&ChildC1te LOl'lellNV1118gtQ nEinesvalley YvouthCtflltf l'IEstHVBII!')' TcommunityCenter tstesParlr Element•rySchool ., ' Q j 0 l Frequently Asked Q . Will they really let you close the roads & race? ... , -Yep! Lt. Rick Life designed the traffic mitigation plan and it has been approved by COOT & EVRPD. RMVR is fully insured. •Will wildlife be in danger? -The RMVR will have trained spotters watching 100% of the course and can call the black flag for any reason. The number 1 person who doesn't want to hit an animal is the racer. . What kinds of cars will be here? -Pretty much everything cool made before 1982 -see mvr.com/ for more. . .. Page 6 Page 7 September 13, 2021 Dear Town of Estes Park Board, The Estes Chamber is proud to welcome Estes Park Grand Prix as a new member of the Chamber. We recommend that you approve their request to hold and event in Estes Park in June 2022 that will bring 800-1,400 room nights and associated spending to benefit our business community. We’re happy to see a new business with a social impact strategy that will benefit Estes Valley nonprofits. Thanks for considering their application. Donna Carlson Executive Director Phone: (970) 480-7552 Direct: (719) 209-9900 533 Big Thompson Ave, Ste. 103 Mail to: PO Box 2376 Estes Park, CO 80517 www.EstesChamber.org 533 Big Thompson Ave., PO Box 2376, Estes Park, CO 80517 970-480-7552 Attachment 2 Page 8 August 20, 2021 To whom it may concern, The Estes Park Recreation and Park District has met with the organizers of the Estes Park Grand Prix. We have no objections to this event moving forward in their planning. The organizers have committed to remaining in contact with us to ensure minimal disruption of our services during the race weekend. We look forward to this new event in Estes Park. Tom Carosello Executive Director Estes Valley Recreation and Park District Attachment 3 Page 9 October 1, 2021 Travis Machalek Town Administrator Town of Estes Park 170 MacGregor Avenue Estes Park, Colorado 80517 Mr. Machalek, Please accept this letter in support of the Estes Park Grand Prix proposed by the Estes Park Racing Company. This event will generate significant economic impact while attracting high value visitors. As you are aware, the foundation of our 2022 operating plan is sustainable tourism, which includes concern for economic, social and environmental issues, as well as addressing the needs of the local community. Attracting high value visitors is a fundamental strategy of sustainable tourism because it directly affects these important issues by working to attract fewer guests overall who will spend the same amount, or more, while in town. Achieving this will positively affect issues of crowding and environmental sustainability while continuing to positively contribute to our local economy. The Estes Park Racing Company has a demonstrated history of executing high quality, engaging events. We look forward to marketing this event as another compelling reason to spend a few days in Estes Park in a way that allows us to achieve the goals of our operating plan while fulfilling our vision to positively affect the quality of life for our community. Sincerely, Kara Franker CEO Visit Estes Park kara@visitestespark.com Cell: 305.321.3929 Attachment 4 Page 10 TOWN CLERK OFFICE MEMO To: Mayor Koenig Town Board of Trustees Through: Travis Machalek, Town Administrator From: Jackie Williamson, Town Clerk Date: October 26, 2021 RE: Proposed 2022 Ballot Questions Purpose of Study Session Item: To review with the Board proposed ballot questions for the upcoming Regular Municipal Election on April 5, 2022. Town Board Direction Requested: Staff requests direction from the Board on if any of the proposed questions should be brought forward for consideration during the upcoming election. Present Situation: The Town holds its regular Municipal Elections on even years on the first Tuesday in April as outlined by state statute. During these elections the Town elects its Board of Trustees and provides the Town with an opportunity to bring forward other questions for the voter’s consideration. Ballot questions can cover a number of topics such as Town business processes, the sale of Town owned property, sales tax or property tax questions, creation of special districts such as the Local Marketing district, approval of contract, etc. Proposal: Staff intends to provide the Board with additional information at the study session on potential ballot questions related to business processes and TABOR. The intent is to educate the Board on the issues, answer questions and determine if staff should devote additional resources to bring the questions forward to the upcoming election in April 2022. Advantages: • To engage the Board in discussion on proposed ballot questions in an effort to prepare for the upcoming election and begin educating the voters. Disadvantages: • An opportunity to consider items would have to wait until the coordinated election in November 2022/2023 or during the next regular Municipal Election in 2024. Finance/Resource Impact: Staff time depending on the direction received by the Board. Level of Public Interest Low at this time. The level of interest may increase once the Board provides direction on the specific questions. Page 11 10/27/2021 Town of Estes Park 2022 Regular Municipal Election Ballot Initiatives MUNICIPAL ELECTION TIMELINE April 5, 2022 January 14, 2022 Comment for Tabor February 4, 2022 Lot Draw/Ballot Printed January 4, 2022 Petition Circulation January 11, 2022 Town Board Page 12 10/27/2021 POTENTIAL QUESTIONS FOR VOTERS Question #1: “Shall the Town of Estes Park, Colorado, be authorized to publish ordinances by title only rather than publishing each ordinance in full in accordance with Section 31-16-105 C.R.S. and provide full text on the Town’s records portal?” YES NO Question #2: “Shall the Town of Estes Park, Colorado, not publish proceedings relating to payment of bills and statements concerning all contracts awarded and rebated allowed in accordance with Section 31-20-202(1.5) C.R.S. and provide full text on the Town’s records portal ?” YES NO Page 13 10/27/2021 Access Transparency & Cost - Increased Accessibility of Information on Website - Increase Transparency - Reduces the Financial Cost to the Taxpayers Accessibility Records Portal Page 14 10/27/2021 Records Portal Since 2016 records have been digitized and made available on the Town’s public records portal in perpetuity and through robust search engines Paper records are always available in the Clerk’s office for public review Minutes Packets License Databases Ordinances Resolutions Total Number of Records Available on the Records Portal Today ORDINANCES 1917 - Current 1,259 Files 100% RESOLUTIONS 1962 -Current (Plus Miscellaneous) 1,090 Files MINUTES Various records from 1917 through current for: Town Board, Planning Commission, Advisory Boards, Committees, Task Force & Special Groups 5,000 Files PACKETS 800 Files Number of files is an approximate amount Page 15 10/27/2021 Transparency Timelines for Publication Prepare Town Board Adopts Ordinance/Approves Bills Published to Web Portal (Available in Perpetuity) Ordinances added to website as early as 10:00 a.m. including: Packets, Ordinances/Resolutions (& Exhibits), approved Minutes and Presentations Publication General circulation in the Town FRIDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY FRIDAY Confirmation to Paper Email confirmation to paper before 10:00 a.m. to inform of changes, approval or denial GENERAL CIRCULATIONGENERAL CIRCULATION Online Records PortalOnline Records Portal Approval Clerk to Format & Send to Paper Packet material available Wednesday prior to Board meeting for review & updates by Friday Page 16 10/27/2021 Financial Cost Other Driving Factors ●Number of Ordinances per Year ○2021 - 16 (To date) ○2020 - 14 ○2019 - 33 ○2018 - 21 ○2017 - 35 ●Increasing Code Changes with new Comprehensive Plan Adoption ●Additional staff time to complete other projects: ○Populating additional records to portal ○Process improvement Bills - $1,800/yr (Average Cost 4 yrs) Ordinances - $3,000 - $5,000/yr (Average Cost 4 yrs) Individual Ordinance Cost $30 - $1,500 per Ordinance Potential Cost Reduction Staff Time - 15 - 45 Minutes (Average per Ordinance) Page 17 10/27/2021 Advantages: ●Robust Records Portal - Kept in Perpetuity ●24/7 Public Access ●Powerful Search Engine ●Reduce Financial Cost to Taxpayers ●Reduce Staff Time to Format & Coordinate Publication with Paper ●Current Process Subject to Deadlines set by the Paper ●Since Pandemic the Use of Electronic Means to Access Information has Increased (Over 1500 hits in 2021). WHY NOW?WHY NOW? POTENTIAL DE-BRUCING QUESTION FOR VOTERS Question #3: Without increasing any tax rate or imposing any new tax and in order for the Town to continue to provide general government services, and any other lawful purposes, shall the Town of Estes Park be authorized to collect, retain, and spend or reserve all revenues it receives from all lawful sources including without limitation property taxes, without any other condition or limitation, as a voter approved revenue change under Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution and under Section 29-1-302(2)(b) of the Colorado Revised Statutes and any other applicable law, and remove any limitations imposed by the November 7, 2000 Ballot Initiative Measure 2A, beginning in fiscal year 2022, provided that the Town’s tax rates shall not be increased without further voter approval? YES NO Page 18 10/27/2021 ●TABOR (Taxpayers Bill of Rights) is sometimes referred to as the “Bruce Amendment” to the State Constitution ○Named after Douglas Bruce, one of the primary proponents of TABOR ●“De-Brucing” is a common term used to identify a voter approved measure that allows a government to keep and spend the revenue received in excess of TABOR’s limits TABOR & DE-BRUCING? TABOR & DE-BRUCING? DE-BRUCING CLAUSE SUMMARY ●Current De-Brucing clause approved in 2000 contains restrictions on use of these De-Bruced funds “...the acquisition, maintenance, repair and replacement of capital projects, including events/recreation facilities, open space, sidewalks, trails, landscaping, street and parking lot construction, storm drainage, and municipal buildings and facilities.” ●The Town will not be able to “grow” itself out of this situation ●This situation will not correct itself and will only get worse with each passing year Page 19 10/27/2021 DE-BRUCING CLAUSE SUMMARY ●Limitations on in-eligible operations will increase each year ○These limitations will increase pressures on personnel costs ●Impacted functions subject to these limitations include: ○Police ○911 Emergency Communications ○Transit System Operations ○Outside Entity Funding, including the Fire District and local non- profits ○Other government functions DE-BRUCING CLAUSE SUMMARY - 5.5 Property Tax Limit ●Ballot measure will remove the 5.5% limit in C.R.S. 29-1-301 from property tax revenues ●Town was required to reduce property tax revenues by $29,447 in 2021 due to this State Statute ○Issued a temporary tax credit of.129 mills in 2021 General Operating Tax Levy 1.822 mills Temporary Credit (0.129) mills Effective Rate for 2021 1.693 mills ●A temporary tax credit was not necessary for 2022 Page 20 10/27/2021 WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? November 9, 2021 Study Session on De-Brucing Town Board to consider Ordinance to set Ballot Questions no later than January 11, 2022 meeting If passed by the voters on April 5, 2022 ●Ordinances published by title only in newspaper ●Ordinances published on public records portal by 10:00 a.m. the day following Town Board meeting ●Bills published on records portal only ●Town maintain de-bruced revenues for without use restrictions. Questions? Page 21 Page 22 PUBLIC WORKS Report To: Honorable Mayor Koenig Board of Trustees Through: Town Administrator Machalek From: Vanessa Solesbee, CAPP, CCTM, Parking & Transit Manager Greg Muhonen, PE, Public Works Director Date: October 26, 2021 RE: Paid Parking Program Results & Recommendations for 2022 Purpose of Study Session Item: Report on 2021 paid parking program results and present staff recommendations for the 2022 summer guest season. Town Board Direction Requested: Staff seeks Town Board direction on staff recommendations for the 2022 seasonal paid parking program. Present Situation: As authorized by Ordinance 30-19 (2019) and Resolution 71-20 (2020), Public Works staff implemented seasonal paid parking for the 2021 summer guest season. Paid parking fees were charged in 682 total spaces for 143 days from May 28 – October 17. The adopted objectives of the paid parking program are: 1.Support the Town’s business districts by making parking available and by encouraging economic development; 2.Maintain adequate turnover of Town-controlled parking spaces; 3.Encourage an adequate amount of parking availability for a variety of parking users, efficient use of Town-controlled perimeter parking locations (parking structure and Events Complex Park-N-Ride), and enhanced use of the Town’s free shuttle system and other transportation alternatives; and 4.Reduce congestion in travel lanes caused by drivers seeking available parking. 2021 program highlights include: •Data Collection: o Overall average occupancy (including the Parking Structure and Events Complex) was up 71% over 2020 and up 12% over 2019; Page 23 o Average occupancy in the paid parking areas was 75% (up 16% over 2020 and flat to 2019); o Average occupancy in the free parking areas was 67% (up 110% over 2020 and up 28% over 2019); o Parking Structure average occupancy was 21% (increased 305% over 2020 and increased 42% over 2019); o 71.8% of parkers paid for two hours or less in the paid parking areas and those spaces turned over an average of 2.41 times per day; o As data is a cornerstone of the Town’s parking management process, a third party consulting firm was engaged to provide an independent Quality Control check of a random sampling of the 2021 data. •Parking Permit Program: o New in 2021: Locals Permit (60 Minutes Free): 3,513 registered Commercial Loading: 14 purchased o Existing permits: Residential Overnight: 85 (240% increase over 2020) Rental Overnight: 84 (211% increase over 2020) Employee Convenience: 492 (1391% increase over 2020) o Permit utilization: Locals Permit: 1.0% of vehicles scanned per day were Local permit holders on average. 0.74% of permit holders made use of their permit on average per day. Employee Convenience: 4.1% of vehicles scanned per day were EC permit holders. 20.9% of permit holders made use of their permit on average per day. •Enforcement: o Issued 1,337 “live” violations (with a fee) from June through September, a 21% increase over 2019. Most violations were issued for failure to pay. o Issued 532 “courtesy notices” (no fee). o Collection rate increased 394% over 2019. o Collected $17,266 in violation payments, a 47% increase over 2020 and a 599% increase over 2019. •Customer Education & Outreach: o Public Works collected feedback on the new parking pilot program from May 28, 2021 to September 30, 2021. o 1,295 responses were collected through four different methods: Parking Permit Survey (871 responses) Library Front Desk Feedback (104 responses) Feedback to Town staff by phone, email or at the Farmers Market booth in July, August and September (88 responses) Door-to-door downtown business survey (33 responses) Online feedback form (199 responses) o Of the 1,295 respondents to all surveys, 77% were local, 10% were business owners or employees, 8% were library patrons, 4% were visitors, and 1% did not state their status. o However, the largest single source of 2021 paid parking feedback was the 2021 Parking Permit Survey, could only be answered by those able to Page 24 register for or purchase a permit (locals and business owners or employees). Of the 424 responses that were received outside of the permit survey, 51% were local, 10% were business owners or employees, 25% were library patrons, 13% were visitors, and 1% did not state their status. o Of the 1,209 respondents who shared feedback (versus the 86 who asked questions), 43% provided positive feedback, 37% felt neutral or indifferent about the program, and 20% had negative feedback. o Comparing local feedback versus visitor feedback, visitors generally felt more positive about the program, whereas locals had mixed opinions. o Local feedback, which included business owners and employees, was 43% positive, 37% neutral, and 20% negative. Visitor feedback was 58% positive, 20% neutral, and 22% negative. Since the adoption of the Downtown Parking Management Plan (DPMP) in January 2018, Public Works staff have been committed to a data-driven approach to parking management in downtown Estes Park. If staff were to make our recommendations for the 2022 program based solely on data, that recommendation would be to transition four (4) more public parking areas downtown from free to paid: Spruce lot, Elkhorn Avenue on-street, Moraine Avenue on-street and MacGregor Avenue on-street for a total of 197 new paid parking spaces. However, staff also acknowledge that the community has been through five years of intense planning and change with regard to parking. From the year-long DPMP process led by PW staff and the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) in 2017 to implementation of time limits in some public parking areas (2018), creation of a new Parking & Transit Division (2018), implementation of License Plate Recognition technology (2019), creation of the Estes Parking app (2019), new permit programs (2019, 2020 and 2021) and finally seasonal paid parking (2021), change has been profound and constant. With the added uncertainly of an ongoing global pandemic and several larger transportation projects like the Downtown Estes Loop coming in 2022, Public Works staff are recommending a focus on improving the existing program rather than program expansion for 2022. Proposal: Public Works staff propose to continue DPMP Phase II into the 2022 summer guest season as follows: •Friday May 27 – Sunday October 16, 2022 (143 days) •10 am to 6 pm, seven days per week •$2 per hour •682 total spaces in the following eight public parking areas: Town Hall, Bond Park, E. Riverside, Riverside, Virginia, Post Office, Wiest and Tregent. Additionally, as in 2021: •69% of all public parking in Estes Park and 33% of parking in the downtown core will remain free. •All spaces with persons for disabilities will remain free and without time limit. Page 25 •Vehicles displaying Americans with Disabilities (ADA) placards or Disabled Veterans (DV) license plates will continue to be exempt from paying parking fees in Town-owned parking spaces. •Motorcycles parking in marked motorcycle parking spaces will continue to be exempt from paying parking fees •Town Hall, the Estes Valley Library and the Post Office will continue to have dedicated spaces without charge for patrons. •Residents/locals who live in the Estes Park School R-3 District will continue to be eligible for 60 minutes of free parking each day in the paid parking areas. As directed by Ordinance 30-19, Public Works staff propose to bring a Resolution to set 2022 parking fees to the Town Board for Public Hearing on November 9, 2021. This project is managed by the Public Works Dept. with the Parking & Transit Manager as the main Town project manager with operational support from professional parking operator, The Car Park. Advantages: •Seasonal paid parking continues the Town’s commitment to implementation of the Board-adopted Downtown Parking Management Plan and the four objectives of the paid parking program. •Implementation is designed to accommodate diverse user groups (locals, visitors and employees), is phased/incremental, and is in line with other Colorado communities that are supported by tourism-driven economies. •Paid parking fees will continue to reduce future reliance on the General Fund for parking management, future parking infrastructure (e.g., new parking structure downtown) and the heavily subsidized Town’s free shuttle service (Estes Transit). Disadvantages: •Implementation of parking management in downtown Estes Park, especially paid parking, has been vocally opposed by some residents and business owners; however, the majority of input received by staff and our contractor has been generally positive or neutral from locals and visitors. •Change is difficult – especially when that change involves taking something that has been free and assigning a fee to it. However, the Town-owned parking is a limited public asset with a cost to build and maintain, and it should be managed and priced in a way that manages demand in the most equitable way possible. Finance/Resource Impact: Current Impacts: As of Oct. 1, expenses were running 22% under budget (at $426,618) and gross revenues were 15% ahead of projections (at $712,432). Staff are tentatively projecting $300,000 in net revenues for the inaugural year of the paid parking program. Staff project that the new program will meet its 2021 financial goals, including: 1.Program “start-up” costs will fully offset/covered in year one of the program; Page 26 2.The Parking Fund will be able to “repay” the General Fund for the 2021 Parking Division base budget; and 3.Cover the costs of implementing the first phase of the downtown wayfinding project. Future Impacts: For the 2022 paid parking season, staff are projecting $816,095 in total revenue for the Parking Fund (256), including paid parking fees, permits, citations and special events. Expenses are projected at $696,869 with anticipated net revenue of $119,226. Net revenue is likely to be higher as the 2022 projections were based on 2021 projections, not actuals (due to timing of the Town’s budget process). Level of Public Interest Public interest in seasonal paid parking is very high. With a little over 2,174 public parking spaces and millions of annual visitors, Public Works’ role is to equitably manage the Town’s limited parking resources in a way that accommodates community members, downtown residents, visitors, a variety of business uses (e.g., retail, restaurants, breweries, professional services, performing arts, vacation rentals, tours), property owners, employees, special event uses, delivery drivers and more. Opinions about how downtown parking should be used, managed and/or not managed at all - and who should have access to those spaces - varies widely. Public Works staff offered a variety of options for locals and visitors to provide input on the new program throughout the summer, including: online feedback form, intercept surveys, email, phone, and door to door outreach to a sampling of downtown businesses. Staff did as much outreach as they could to engage our parking customers, however based on the volume of visitors that come through downtown Estes Park each summer, it is important to be clear that staff are not representing the results of our outreach efforts as statistically significant. Both an Executive Summary and the raw data from staff’s efforts to collect feedback over the 2021 summer season have been included as attachments. Attachments: 1. Presentation: 2021 Paid Parking Results & Recommendations for 2022 2.2021 Paid Parking Feedback Executive Summary 3.2021 Paid Parking Feedback Raw Data - Link 4.Transportation Advisory Board Letter of Support – To be provided October 22, 2021 5.2022 Downtown Parking Map - Link 6.Town Hall Parking Lot Timelapse Video - Link Page 27 2021 Paid Parking Results & Recommendations for 2022 October 26, 2021 I I Town Board Study Session Program Results OCCUPANCY REVENUE VIOLATIONS PERMITS OUTREACH DATES/HOURS RATES SIGNAGE INFRASTRUCTURE ESTES PARK COLORADO (/) 1--' ::::> (/) w a::: c.:> z i: a::: < a; C a; Attachment 1 Page 28 I I 2021 PROGRAM OVERVIEW MAY 28TH -OCTOBER 17TH 143 DAYS 10AM-6PM DAILY $2 PER HOUR 69% OF TOTAL PARKING SUPPLY REMAINS FREE 1.Support the Town's business districts by making parkingavailable and by encouraging economic development. 3.Encourage an adequate amount of parking availability for avariety of parking users. A.Efficient use of perimeter parking locations B.Enhanced use of the Town's free shuttle system and other transportation alternatives 4.Reduce congestion in travel lanes caused by drivers seekingavailable parking. (/) 1-::., :::::> (/) w 0:: c.:> z i: 0:: < Q; (/) 1--' :::::> (/) w 0:: c.:> z i: 0:: < Q; 0 <i: Q; c::i C N Page 29 -RMNP FALL RIVER ENTRANCE E]SHUTTLE STOP In) EV CHARGING 00 PUBLIC RESTROOMS ©VISITOR INFORMATION 2021 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS ESTES PARK COLORADO Page 30 91%93%91%85%95%97%88%86% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% JUNE JULY AUG SEPT YOY PEAK OCCUPANCY - PAID LOTS 2019 2021 LOT FEELS FULL 73%79% 67%60% 81%87% 72%74% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% JUNE JULY AUG SEPT YOY PEAK OCCUPANCY - FREE LOTS *Excludes Events Complex 2019 2021 LOT FEELS FULL Page 31 71%73% 91% 67% 79%83% 72%67% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% JUNE JULY AUG SEPT YOY AVERAGE OCCUPANCY - PAID LOTS 2019 2021 LOT FEELS FULL 45% 55% 67% 40% 66% 87% 57%57% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% JUNE JULY AUG SEPT YOY AVERAGE OCCUPANCY - FREE LOTS *Excludes Events Complex 2019 2021 LOT FEELS FULL Page 32 32.2% 1 HOUR 39.6% 2 HOURS 17.6% 3 HOURS 6.7% LENGTH OF STAY BY TRANSACTIONS 1 HOUR 2 HOURS 3 HOURS 4 HOURS 5 HOURS 6 HOURS 7 HOURS 8 HOURS Page 33 21% 532 1% 12% 3% 59% 1453 3% VIOLATIONS ISSUED COURTESY NOTICE IMPROPERLY PARKED NON PAYMENT/EXPIRED PAYMENT Page 34 14 492 85 84 3,513 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 COMMERCIAL LOADING RENTAL OVERNIGHT LOCAL 60 MIN 2021 PERMITS - TO DATE Page 35 o o o 2016 2021 % Change 2,507,964 2,437,542 3% * Data collected on 2nd and 3rd Saturdays in July. Page 36 July 2021 % Change (vs. 2019) $2,322,659 8% RMNP July 2021* % Change (vs. 2019) 2,525,156 - 7.1% EPVC July 2021 % Change (vs. 2019) 60,395 - 42% *Timed entry in effect Page 37 o o o o o Page 38 GENERAL FEEDBACK LOCAL VS. VISITOR Positive 43% Positive 43% :::::> (/) L&J 0:: c.:> z i: 0:: < Q; 0 <i: Q; c::i C N [I] :::::> (/) L&J 0:: c.:> z i: 0:: < Q; 0 <i: Q; c::i C N Page 39 More time on Local Permit 46% Support the program 18% Eliminate paid parking 14% Confusing signage/ communicatio Technical issues 5% Other 6% Above Average 33% Average 11% Poor or Below Average <1% Outstanding 55% Parking Staff Experience Page 40 IN SUMMARY KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM 2021 Parking Data ... •Paid lots remain well-utilized but with noticeably more churn/movement•Increased use of free lots in downtown core•Dramatic increase in use of parking structure Economic Indicators ... •RMNP and Visitor Center trending lower (vs. 2019)•COOT traffic counts down (vs. 2016)•Downtown pedestrian and vehicular traffic up (vs. 2016)•Travel times downtown decreased (vs. 2016)•Sales tax up (vs. 2019) Customer Experience ... •Opportunity to improve transaction times, payment messaging, staff coverage and reduce "friction" ofpaying 2022 PROGRAM & AREAS OF FOCUS ESTES PARK COLORADO (/) 1-::., :::::> (/) w 0:: c.:> z 0:: < Q; 0 N C N Page 41 2022 PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS MAY 27 -OCTOBER 16, 2022 143 DAYS 10AM-6PM DAILY $2 PER HOUR 69% OF TOTAL PARKING SUPPLY REMAINS FREE 2022 FOCUS AREAS OPERATIONAL REFINEMENT= BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SIGNAGE •REFINE PAYMENT SIGNAGE•IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN-LEVEL SIGNS INFRASTRUCTURE •ADDITIONAL PAY STATIONS IN STRATEGIC LOCATIONS•EXTEND WIFI TO ALL PAID AREAS•DIRECT CONNECTION TO FIBER WHERE NECESSARY PERMITS •AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION FOR LOCAL PERMIT; VIRTUAL ONLY•NO PRICE INCREASE FOR EMPLOYEE PERMIT (/) z 0 j:: <I: 0 z uJ ::E ::E 0 (/) z 0 j:: <I: 0 z uJ ::E ::E 0 (.) uJ 0::: N N 0 N Page 42 2022 FOCUS AREAS OPERATIONAL REFINEMENT= BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE STAFFING •IMPROVE/STREAMLINE FRONT LINE RECEPTION•EXPAND SEASONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM COMMUNICATIONS •FOCUS ON EDUCATION; HELP TO DEFINE THE RIGHT PARKING OPTIONS FOR SOMEONE'S TRIP DOWNTOWN•TARGETED TRADITIONAL ANO SOCIAL MEDIA BUYS PARTNERSHIPS •PARTNER WITH KEY COMMUNITY ORGS TO DEFINE WAYS TO MAKE THE PARKING EXPERIENCE SMOOTHER (E.G., BUNDLE PKG W/ LODGING) PUBLIC WORKS STAFF PROPOSE: Resolution to Set 2022 Parking Fees at a Regular Meeting and Public Hearing on November 9, 2021. (/) z 0 j:: <I: 0 z uJ ::E ::E 0 (.) uJ a:: N N 0 N (!) z Si:: a:: <I: Q; 0 Q; Page 43 Page 44 $91,729 $106,154 $93,964 $57,906 $83,982 $109,540 $87,626 $50,330 $- $20,000 $40,000 $60,000 $80,000 $100,000 $120,000 JUN JUL AUG SEP MONTH-to-MONTH PAY STATIONS vs MOBILE PAY PAY STATIONS MOBILE PAYMENT $77,952 $33,086 $2,470 $70,215 $89,317 $161,161 $17,368 $15,438 $105,987 Bond Park (76 SPACES) East Riverside (43 SPACES) Events Complex Post Office (99 SPACES) Riverside (94 SPACES) Town Hall (237 SPACES) Tregent (17 SPACES) Virginia (19 SPACES) Wiest (141 SPACES) TOTAL REVENUE BY LOT Page 45 $ 757 $ 778 *3% $ 346 $ 421 22% $ 596 $ 1,113 **87% $ 899 $ 1,147 28% $ 1,470 $ 2,471 ***68% $ 183 $ 210 15% $ 157 $ 204 30% $ 1,028 $ 1,412 37% $ 679 $ 970 43% Page 46 2021 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS PAID LOTS 2021 PEAK 2019 PEAK Bond Park East Riverside Post Office 90% -7S% 85% Riverside ■ 100% 97% 100% Town Hall ■ 96% 88% 95% Tregent ■ 100% 97% 100% -Virginia 85% 71% 76% JUNE Wiest .' , OCCUPANCY 2020 FREE LOTS 2021 PEAK 2019 PEAK PEAK Brownfield's 99% N/A N/A Davis • 96% 41% 79% Events 7% 3% 5% MacGregor • 94% 52% 80% Structure -60% 7% N/A Perl. Park • 74% 26% 57% Spruce 94% -80% 87% VG w. River JUNE AVERAGE OCCUPANCY PAIO LOTS Bond Park est ,vers, e Virginia Wiest FREE LOTS Big Horn rown ,e s vc W. River 2021 AVG 2020 AVG 2019 AVG BS% Bl% 77% 64% S2% SS'lo - BB% B2% B9% - 69% S4% 71% - 96% B4% BS% 2021AVG 2020AVG 2019 AVG 93% B2% 26% 44% - 3% 1% 2% - 7B% 3B% SB% - 46% S'lo N/A - S3% IB'lo 31% - 76% S9% S6% - ,·, 2021 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS JULY OCCUPANCY JULY PEAK OCCUPANCY PAID LOTS Bond Park East RIversIde Post Office Riverside Town Hall Tregent Virginia Wiest FREE LOTS Big Horn Brownfield's Oav,s Events MacGregor Structure Perl. Park Spruce vc W. River 2021 2020 2019 PEAK PEAK PEAK IEBIIIIZDllllliBIII I 9B% BS% 93% I 100% 9S% 100% I 9B% BO% 96% I 100% 99% 100% ------77% Bl% IEDEBIIEDIII 2021 2020 2019 PEAK PEAK PEAK IIIIIillllllmlllllllmllll ------ 99% 67% BS% I 9% 6% 6% I 99% B2% 96% I 67% 9% 39% I BS% 43% 72% ------77% 90% ■ ■ IIIIIDIIEilllEBIII JULY AVERAGE OCCUPANCY PAIO LOTS Bond Park East R1versIde Wiest FREE LOTS Big Horn Brownfield's vc W. River 2021 AVG 2020 AVG 2019 AVG 7S% 72% Sl'lo 63% ■ 90% 7S% BB% I 79% S4% 71% I 100% B2% BS% ■ 69% S9% IIIEillll .', --' 2021 AVG 2020 AVG 2019 AVG IIIIIDII --IIEillll' -- 92% 43% S3% 4% 3% 2% I BS% S9% 67% I 49% 7% N/A I 67% 2B% 40% I B4% S2% -- ' ■ IIIIDIIII IIEillll (/) I- :::::, (/) w 0:: c.:> z i: 0:: < Q; 0 Q; c::i i (/) I- :::::, (/) w 0:: c.:> z i: 0:: < Q; 0 <i: Q; i Page 47 2021 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS AUGUST OCCUPANCY AUGUST PEAK OCCUPANCY PAID LOTS 2021 PEAK 2020 PEAK 2019 PEAK Bond Park i:;u::;;l ■ ■ Riverside 93% 99% 99% Post Office ■ 80% 93% 85% ■ Riverside -98% 100% 100% • Town Hall 87% 91% 9S% Tregent Virginia Wiest FREE LOTS 2021 PEAK 2020 PEAK 2019 PEAK Big Horn :,·. Srownfield's Davis .. ' Events -7% 5% 5% MacGregor ■ 84% 88% 80% ■ Structure -26% 6% 22% - Perl. Park 61% 39% 57% ■ Spruce ■ vc W. River AUGUST AVERAGE OCCUPANCY PAID LOTS 2021 AVG 2020 AVG 2019 AVG Band Park i::u::;;l ■ Riverside 80% 79% 76% Post Office 56% 63% 55% ■ Riverside -89% 85% 87% - Town Hall 66% S4% 68% Tregent Virginia Wiest FREE LOTS 2021 AVG 2020 AVG 2019 AVG Big Horn Brownfield's Davis Events 4% 2% 2% I MacGregor -■ 67% 62% 62% Structure -16% 4% 16% - Pert. Park -44% 25% 32% ■ Spruce -■ vc W. River 2021 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS SEPTEMBER OCCUPANCY SEPTEMBER PEAK OCCUPANCY PAID LOTS 2021 PEAK Bond Park .. ' East I Riverside 95% Post Office I 75% Riverside ■ 97% Town Hall ■ 86% Tregent I 99% Virginia I Wiest .. ' FREE LOTS 2021 PEAK Big Horn Brownfield's ·:·. Davis 83% Events -9% MacGregor ■ 86% Structure I 48% Perl. Park ■ 60% Spruce -82% vc -57% w. River -78% 2020 PEAK .. ' 94% 87% l00% 87% 99% 2020 PEAK 56% 5% 73% 12% 41% 72% 35% 52% 2019 PEAK 96% I 77% ■ l00% ■ 93% ■ l00% 2019 PEAK .. ' 58% 6% 74% 19% 47% 89% 57% 64% SEPTEMBER AVERAGE OCCUPANCY PAID LOTS 2021 AVG Bond Park East Riverside 75% Post Office I 48% Riverside ■ 81% Town Hall ■ 64% Tregent I 92% Virginia I Wiest FREE LOTS 2021 AVG Big Horn Brownfield's 69% 6% 67% 33% 42% 60% 39% 54% 2020 AVG 74% 62% 83% 59% 84% 2020 AVG 41% 3% 53% 8% 24% 47% 24% 31% 2019 AVG 83% 52% ■ 88% ■ 72% ■ I I 2019 AVG 36% 2% 58% 14% 31% 54% 45% 38% -■ ■ ■ --- (/) 1-::., :::::> (/) w 0:: c.:> z i: 0:: < Q; Q; N C N c.:> z i: 0:: < Q; Q; Page 48 2021 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS OCTOBER OCCUPANCY PEAK OCCUPANCY: 2021 Weekend vs Weekday -!<WEEKEND FESTIVALS LIMITED CAPACITY OCTOBER PEAK OCCUPANCY PAID LOTS 2021 PEAK 2020 PEAK Bond Park East Riverside I Post Office ■ Riverside ■ Town Hall Tregent Virginia Wiest 98% 100% 100% 100% 92% 78% 95% 71% .. ' FREE LOTS 2021 PEAK 2020 PEAK Big Horn Brownfield's Davis Events MacGregor Structure Perl. Park Spruce vc w. River Bond Park East Riverside Post Office Riverside Town Hall Tregent Virginia 100% 30% 6% S% 100% 61% 75% 12% 79% 29% 73% '' ■ 84%■ 97%■ 81% 98% ■ 90% 99% 82% 2019 PEAK N/A ■ N/A ■ N/A ■ N/A 2019 PEAK N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A ..' .. 77% 99% 98% 100% 98% 100% 89% OCTOBER AVERAGE OCCUPANCY PAID LOTS 2021 AVG 2020 AVG Bond Park East Riverside I 82% 84% Post Office 81% 60% Riverside 93% 82% Town Hall 88% 59% Tregent Virginia Wiest FREE LOTS 2021 AVG 2020 AVG Big Horn Brownfield's 87% 22% 4% 3% 88% 47% 49% 9% S7% 22% S9% ' • I I•Average 64% 80% 54% 86% 67% 94% 64% .. 60% 90% 76% 90% 78% 97% 69% I I I I 2019 AVG N/A N/A ■ N/A ■ N/A ■ 2019 AVG N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A ----- Wiest (/) 1-::., :::::> (/) w 0:: c.:> z i: 0:: < Q; 0 <i: Q; (/) 1--' :::::> (/) w 0:: c.:> z i: 0:: < Q; 0 <i: Q; C N Page 49 LOT VIOLATIONS ISSUED BIG HORN 31 BOND PARK 331 BROWNFIELD'S 10 DAVIS 2 EAST RIVERSIDE 294 ELKHORN AVE 54 EVENTS COMPLEX PARK-N-RIDE 7 MACGREGOR AVE 65 MORAINE AVE 28 OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN 13 PARKING STRUCTURE 16 PERFORMANCE PARK 29 POST OFFICE 181 RIVERSIDE 363 SPRUCE 14 TOWN HALL/LIBRARY 360 TREGENT 112 VIRGINIA 160 VISITOR CENTER 64 WEST RIVERSIDE 30 WIEST 316 TOTAL 2480 Page 50 o o o Page 51 o o o Yes 43% Somewhat 38% No 19% Did the 2021 parking permit offerings fit your needs? Page 52 Positive 42% Very Positive 30%Neutral/No Opinion 16% Negative 9% Very Negative 3% Online Registration Experience 115 15 392 127 118 5 2 31 Page 53 Local 30 Minutes Free 88% Employee Convenience 10% Rental/Residential Overnight, Commercial Loading 2% Permit Purchased Fewer than 2 days/week 39% 2-4 days/week 26% Fewer than 2 days/month 20% 5+ days/week 11% Never 4% Permit Usage Frequency Came downtown less 47% Did not change 39% Came downtown more 6% Other 8% Behavior Change Due to Permit Page 54 2021 Paid Parking Program Feedback Executive Summary October 2021 OVERVIEW The Town of Estes Park collected feedback on the new seasonal paid parking program from May 28, 2021 to September 30, 2021. A total of 1,295 responses were collected through four different methods: Parking Permit Survey (871 responses), Library Front Desk Feedback (104 responses), feedback to Town staff by phone, email or at the Farmers Market (88 responses), a door-to-door downtown business survey (33 responses), and comments submitted via online feedback form (199 responses). Members of the Transportation Advisory Board used a printed copy of the online feedback for their intercept surveys downtown so the results of their efforts are included in the online feedback form response total. Of the 1,295 respondents to all surveys, 77% were local, 10% were business owners or employees, 8% were library patrons, 4% were visitors, and 1% did not state their status. However, the largest single source of 2021 paid parking feedback was the 2021 Parking Permit Survey, could only be answered by those able to register for or purchase a permit (locals and business owners or employees). Of the 424 responses that were received outside of the permit survey, 51% were local, 10% were business owners or employees, 25% were library patrons, 13% were visitors, and 1% did not state their status. Attachment 2 Page 55 2021 Paid Parking Program Feedback Executive Summary October 2021 Most respondents shared general feedback about the parking program that could be categorized as positive, negative, or neutral. Of the 1,209 respondents who shared feedback, 43% provided positive feedback, 37% felt neutral or indifferent about the program, and 20% had negative feedback. The 2021 Parking Permit Survey data was removed from the second data set for the same reason stated above. The general feedback from the other surveys was similar to the combined dataset. Of the 338 respondents who shared feedback outside of the permit survey, 44% provided positive feedback, 32% felt neutral or indifferent about the program, and 24% had negative feedback. Comparing local feedback versus visitor feedback, visitors generally felt more positive about the program, whereas locals had mixed opinions. Local feedback, which included business owners and employees, was 43% positive, 37% neutral, and 20% negative. Visitor feedback was 58% positive, 20% neutral, and 22% negative. Page 56 2021 Paid Parking Program Feedback Executive Summary October 2021 GENERAL FEEDBACK The general feedback of the respondents was also summarized into major themes about the new paid parking program. The top few themes show that the program is generally accepted among those who participated in the Town’s outreach offerings, however the program would benefit from some operational modifications and improvements. For example, when the local free parking limit was raised to 60 minutes, survey responses became much more supportive of the program. Other improvements to consider include improving signage, the website, and the registration process. The following are the major themes of feedback from 1,253 survey responses about the 2021 paid parking program. 42 responses were omitted in this chart because they did not provide a comment or responded that they did not use parking. •Local permit needs to be more than 30 mins (577 responses, 46%) •General support of the program (224 responses, 18%) •Visitors and/or locals should not have to pay for parking (177 responses, 14%) •Confusing signage or communication (138 responses, 11%) •Technical issues (64 responses, 5%) •Could not find a spot (22 responses, 2%) •Other (51 responses, 4%) o General dislike of program o Enforcement concerns o Businesses/employees should not have to pay for parking Page 57 2021 Paid Parking Program Feedback Executive Summary October 2021 Local and Visitor Feedback Themes The above feedback was also broken out into local and visitor feedback. Local feedback included business owners and employees. Local feedback heavily supported locals having more than 30 minutes of free time. Visitors were generally supportive of the program, but some were in favor of eliminating paid parking. Questions Eighty-six respondents provided feedback in the form of a question. These included questions about the signage and which spots were paid, reserved, or free parking. Specifically, near the library and post office, users had a hard time figuring out where to park and/or saw people misusing the designated spots. Responses also showed that the technology to pay was often confusing, had a bad connection therefore took an extended period of time, and users often had to leave their meal or shopping to add more time to their meter. Page 58 2021 Paid Parking Program Feedback Executive Summary October 2021 PERMIT PROGRAM FEEDBACK While the Town has offered overnight parking permits for those who live and/or own a vacation rental downtown for many years, several new permits have been added as a complement to the new seasonal paid parking program: an “Employee Convenience” permit and a “Locals” permit. A survey to learn more about the effectiveness of Town’s entire parking permit offerings – with special focus on the new Locals permit - was sent to residents. The Town received 871 responses. The permit program had mixed reviews with 42% (367 respondents) of residents finding a permit that fit their needs, 37% (321 respondents) finding a permit that somewhat fit their needs, and 19% (164 respondents) not finding their permit to fit their needs. The rest of the respondents to the 2021 Parking Permit Survey did not purchase a permit or never used their permit. Of the residents that did not have their needs met by a permit, the most common shortfalls were the need for a free parking time limit over 30 minutes and a general displeasure at the installation of paid parking in the town. Other respondents noted that the registration process was either too cumbersome, they had trouble navigating the site, never received their permit, or the online technology did not work for them while signing up. In addition, many respondents noted that they would like to be automatically re- enrolled in the permit program instead of having to sign up and provide documentation each year. Others noted that they were confused about how to add paid time to their 30 minutes of free time. The parking permit survey included questions about respondents’ online registration experience and experience with parking staff. The majority of respondents had very good experiences with both. Page 59 2021 Paid Parking Program Feedback Executive Summary October 2021 The survey also asked about the ideal free parking time limit. The most popular response was one hour. Respondents were asked about the type of permit purchased and frequency of use. Most respondents purchased the Local 30 Minutes Free permit. Finally, respondents were asked if the paid parking program changed their behavior. Many responded that they visited the downtown less frequently or that it did not change their behavior. Page 60 Transportation Advisory Board 2021 Seasonal Paid Parking Review & Recommendation Good evening, Mayor Koenig, and Trustees, Thank you for allowing the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB), your citizen group, to provide recommendations that are well researched about transportation issues benefiting our community. When reviewing a topic, TAB members look at all aspects of an issue and how it affects our community. Our discussions are often robust, thorough, and not always concluding in consensus. We care a great deal about the well-being of our diverse community and its varied interests. I want to thank you, as Chair, for allowing me to speak on behalf of the Transportation Advisory Board about the 2021 Paid Parking Program and 2022 recommendations. In 2016, the TAB brought forth a Downtown Parking Strategy, which provided a Downtown Parking Plan emphasizing programs for paid parking, employee parking, and an expansion plan. These goals remain consistent, more developed and documented in the Downtown Parking Management Plan (DPMP) that was adopted by the Town Board in 2018. TAB has remained focused and engaged in the 2021 implementation of Phase II of that approved plan. The Transportation Advisory Board members have monitored and actively participated in the 2021 Seasonal Paid Parking Program as permit holders, users of the periphery lots, have paid through the parking app or kiosk, monitored weekly data reports, and actively sought community feedback. We reviewed the extensive data provided by Public Works (PW) staff. From our direct experiences, and the PW data collected, TAB views that the first year of DPMP Phase II implementation was successful. Successes from the first year of the Downtown Parking Management Plan, Phase II 1.Demonstrated movement of vehicles to the periphery lots. 2.Parking Structure usage increased significantly by 21%. 3. Turnover rate of 2.4 times on average, per day, in Town-controlled parking spaces allowing access to downtown businesses. 4.Program can support itself, demonstrated by net revenue at $300,000. in the first year of implementation. 5.Program aligns with other mountain communities such as Idaho Springs and Breckenridge programs. 6.Enhances environmental stewardship and health of our community. 7.Enhances the Estes Transit program. As a result of these improvements, our community and visitors experienced a reduction in congestion and an increase in traffic flow as recorded in the July 2021Traffic Count Study conducted by Public Works Department. TAB members recommend: 1.Continuation of the Seasonal Paid Parking Program into 2022, without significant changes. Although there was discussion about the advantages and disadvantages to expanding paid parking lots and possible fee increases (triggered by using only a data Attachment 4 Page 61 Transportation Advisory Board 2021 Seasonal Paid Parking Review & Recommendation driven analysis, TAB came to the awareness that the community was already experiencing enough stress from the on-going pandemic as well as needing time to adapt to changes to parking in downtown. 2. Robust improvements to the existing program such as signage and awareness of the parking apps., which could influence parking behaviors. For the 2023 Seasonal Paid Parking, TAB recommends exploration of expanding paid lots, which consistently reach beyond the 85% trigger point of capacity. The Transportation Advisory Board wants to acknowledge Public Works staff for their continued professional behavior and flexibility throughout the 2021 Paid Parking season. Staff and The Car Park adapted the program to align with business and resident feedback. Their commitment to understanding the concerns and needs of the community and visitor experience has added to the success of 2021. We appreciate their professional responses to difficult situations. I would like to end by sharing my experience participating in the person-to-person survey collection on Elkhorn Ave. I volunteered to ask pedestrians the same questions from the Town’s Online Feedback Form and record their answers. I chose to help gather data because I was authentically curious about the paid parking visitor experience. I wanted to hear comments directly. I collected 29 surveys over 2 weekends in early September. I spoke with 22 visitors and 7 locals. Page 62 533 Big Thompson Ave., PO Box 2376, Estes Park, CO 80517 970-480-7552 To: Mayor Koenig, Town of Estes Park Board of Trustees, Town Administrator Machalek, and the Public Works Department From: Estes Chamber Members and Downtown Businesses, presented by Executive Director Donna Carlson Date: October 26, 2021 Regarding: Voice of Business on Paid Parking in 2021 Thank you for the opportunity to present the voice of the business community as you evaluate the inaugural year of the paid parking program in Estes Park. We recognize that it is not customary to invite external parties to present to the Town Board in a process like this and we recognize your gesture as an interest in supporting the business community. The Estes Chamber of Commerce wants to state clearly that the views expressed in this report represent only a fraction of our 321 members. As the voice of business in Estes Park, the Chamber is its members and therefore the organization does not express an opinion on any matter outside of the opinions of our members. We conducted an online survey extended to members and the general public and want to acknowledge that the 66 responses don’t begin to capture the thoughts of all 321 members, but we present this information under the assumption that the members with the most interest in influencing this board’s decisions regarding the future of paid parking have spoken. Figure 1. Membership status of survey participants Page 63 2 Figure 2. Business location of survey participants Figure 3. Opinion of survey participants on the question, "Do you support paid parking in Estes Park?" The following quotes represent opinions pro, con and neutral, highlighting some key factors for this Board to consider regarding the future implementation of the program. It has enhanced our near 3000+ customers access to downtown and increased parking availability. Paid Parking has increased the reliability of finding a parking space sooner than the usual circling around for 20+ minutes. Paid Parking positively influences the customer experience by reducing congestion, reducing the horrible exhaust fumes and reducing the impulse to avoid downtown's mayhem. Our customers are part of the billion- dollar industry that enjoys the outdoors and healthy lifestyles. Paid Parking aligns with their expectations of a mountain community that values environmental stewardship and wellness. Page 64 3 This replaced 3-hour parking in front of the restaurant. At three hours there was a turnover. Now people can park in one space for the entire day as long as they pay. This has eliminated the turnover we used to have. During the wine fest the fencing made the pay kiosk unavailable. They had an "ambassador" talking to everyone that parked in front of the restaurant about the paid parking. The majority left! All the parking on the park side of the street was given to the festival. The same thing happened on Labor Day. All the parking was given to the out-of-town merchants as well as the parking on MacGregor. We had several parties cancel because of the parking issue. Even people that were only coming to pick up take out were parking in the alley behind the building and walking around to be able to pick up. In my 30 years in this location, this is the worst I have seen. I want to be clear that I am not happy about paid parking, but I think that the money collected from the program could be a huge benefit to the town if the funds are used wisely. I don't think that paid parking has had that much of an impact on my business. I also think that there is a fair balance of both paid and unpaid parking available. I was very disappointed in the employee parking program, however. Limiting employee parking to one parking area in town was very frustrating, the $40 charge is high for businesses that have multiple employees, and my one employee that I had for the summer ended up just getting into town early enough to find parking in free spaces, and the permit that I paid for was not even used once. I do wish that a plan for the funds collected was created and presented to the town before the program was implemented, and I also think that another free parking garage should have been built in town before paid parking was put in place, preferably on the other side of town (possibly by the amphitheater) and shuttles used to take visitors back and forth between the two parking garages. We don't believe there is any direct correlation between our business this season and paid parking. We don't think it helped or hurt. Like anything in life, there are pros and cons. If everyone knew that the funds generated from the paid parking were actually going to help the customers, businesses, and locals, we think the buy- in would be greater. Because this survey captured only 39.4% of downtown business opinions, the Chamber did not feel this adequately captured the voice of business most affected by paid parking, so we conducted a door-to-door survey of 57 downtown businesses over the past two months. This chart represents the sentiment of these verbatim responses. Of the 57 we spoke to 5 spoke positively of paid parking, 38 spoke negatively of it and 14 were neutral. 30 said that the app was very confusing and frustrating for guests. 16 had concerns on the effect of day trippers coming up in the Figure 4. Door to door survey responses downtown. Page 65 4 future. Most expressed an interest in a revised permit program for employees. Here are a few representative quotes from the door-to-door survey. I am always able to find a parking spot in the library lot to go to work. The lighting to the parking garage is not good, so I like being able to park close to work. Paid parking has put undue stress on free parking lots like lower Stanley Village where my business is located. We had to hire additional enforcement so people wouldn’t park in the free lot and take up all of our parking spots. It is a very confusing process to pay for parking, especially for our older guests. I also don’t like the idea of an out of state company putting tickets on our guest’s cars. They feel like they are getting nickel and dimed and feels like they are rushed. My business license cost less than my parking permits for my employees. As a community member I like it, as a library director my constituents are not happy. (In the online survey a nonprofit reported lower attendance at library programs.) I have had day trippers tell me, “You guys need us and we have supported you through fires and floods and this feels like a punishment. We won’t be back.” One of our members conducted his own primary research on visitor opinions, posted on EstesParking.com. Here are the high-level results and representative quotes: The town is biting the hand that feeds it.... period. Makes it an impossible trip. Estes is already expensive, but this just adds to it. Page 66 5 I won't pay to park to go shopping. What I will do is drive to another community and shop there. I've been coming to Estes Park for 45 years now... You have caused a great disservice to the shop and restaurant owners in this town. It completely takes away from the charm of a small, quaint mountain town. We acknowledge that human nature is more likely to complain when we are dissatisfied than when we are satisfied. Some guests admitted not knowing where the free lots were located or that we had any. Some didn’t realize paid parking ended at 6 p.m. The Car Park has responded to many of these facts with clearer, easier to read signage. We chose these quotes to illustrate why we highlighted the following deductions from this data and recommendations for your consideration. Deductions from the data Our primary observation echoes what Parking & Transit reported – “It is important to be clear that staff are not representing the results of our outreach efforts as statistically significant.” The Chamber Executive Director participated in outreach efforts as a neutral faction both with Parking & Transit personnel (33 conversations) and with a downtown business owner (57 conversations). We found that the responses were significantly influenced by who was asking the question. In the Parking & Transit conversations, most responses were positive. In the business owner conversations, most people were vocal of their disapproval. We acknowledge that any time the surveyor has a personal stake in the outcome of the survey, it takes a great deal of intention to hide any bias in the questioning process, as much as we tried. This signifies the need for a professional, neutral third-party survey that captures the mind of the customer and the perspective of business owners. The Chamber also wants to clearly state that most businesses do not feel that the increase in sales tax revenue in 2021 can be used as evidence for the success of the program. We also acknowledge that a decrease in revenue next year may be related to a shift in the pandemic and may be related to parking. The only way to make an educated guess is through an unbiased third-party survey. There are many wildcard factors in the success of our business community this year related to the pandemic. The reasons that overall occupancy was up 71% over 2020 and 12% over 2019 is directly proportional to the increase in visitors after being shut in for a year. We urge you to consider the success of this program outside of that data. Despite the good intention of the Public Works Department to communicate the approved plan in 2018 and the delayed rollout in 2021, there is a perception among guests and some business owners that the paid parking program is being done without their consent to harm the business community or because “the town is greedy.” In several conversations Page 67 6 to explain the purpose for the program and the benefits, some perceive this to be smoke and mirrors. The dissonance indicates a lack of trust that predates this program. • There is a critical need for the Town to establish trust with the business community. The Chamber shares this burden by helping to provide a platform for members of the business community to be heard and to share that data with the Town. • Communications with the Chamber from visitors has all been negative, but we would not expect a visitor to call the Chamber to say, “Good job on the parking.” • Employee convenience is a factor for Chamber members, with a primary concern for the safety of employees walking through poorly lit streets after late shifts. • The unavailability of parking for employees at certain times of day necessitated alternate parking options that rendered their $40 employee pass useless. • While we are grateful that the Board approved 60 minutes of free parking for locals, if you manage to limit a meeting or lunch to one hour, that still requires 10- 15 minutes on both ends for transit to and from parking. Would the Board consider extending that local time permit to two hours? • Private lot owners were forced to spend their revenue dollars on additional signage because of decisions outside their control. Because every owner developed a parking strategy at their own discretion, there is a confusing lack of uniformity. • A group of 30 business owners in a Downtown Alliance meeting requested that we ask the Board to consider cancelling the program, others have suggested that we request a reduction in the number of days for the program to end with Elk Fest. • Parking & Transit has offered to expand shuttle service to accommodate late employee shifts, but it’s hard for workers to predict when their shifts will end. It makes sense to subsidize an alternative ride service for restaurant workers. • Many merchants experienced disgruntled feedback from day trippers from Colorado. We strongly suggest enhancing the Town’s PR campaign to the Front Range and extending a voucher or special permit price to Front Range visitors. • Our lodging personnel held the burden of communicating with guests both the park reservation system and the new paid parking system. • Several businesses have stated that paid parking feels like an additional tax that piles on the burden of sales tax they already pay. We don’t believe in presenting problems without presenting solutions, so the following section details some recommendations to consider for the use of parking revenue. Recommendation for the use of parking revenue Many members have expressed concern that the Town has not presented a plan for the use of parking revenue. Even though the program approved in 2018 clearly stated a phase four plan to increase parking downtown, there is no stated interim plan for those revenue dollars. We recognize that parking expenses are a cost of doing business, but we would like to present the fact that parking was not in place when many of our businesses set up Page 68 7 shop; many feel it’s been imposed against their consent. Here are a few ways the Board can show good faith to the business community with that $300,000 in revenue. • Fund a professional third-party survey of guests (in partnership with Visit Estes Park) and business owners in the summer of 2022 with person-on-the-street interviews. • Share the burden of private lot owners to produce signage and reimburse them for a portion of this expense or provide branded signage to them in the future that will create a more unified experience for our guests. • Create a reimbursement program for unused employee passes or to subsidize employee parking and share a portion that burden with the business owner. • Broker an agreement or voucher system with ride share companies who can augment the shuttle program with rides for hire after 9 p.m. • Create and market discounted permits for Front Range visitor. • Create discounted bundles for hotels and vacation rentals to offer parking passes. • Pay for additional lighting from the tunnel to the parking garage and on the west end of town, extending past Performance Park to the Fall River Village. • Thank you for acknowledging the need to fund wayfinding signage! Businesses would especially appreciate signs for how to find restrooms, but also signage about playing in the river and clearer signage prohibiting overnight parking. • Fix Cleave St. aesthetically, drainage. • Shore up the railing on the Water Wheel bridge. • Designate parking for business owners and employees. • Build additional parking downtown before advancing to Phase 3 of the approved plan to increase parking in lots with greater than 85% occupancy. Thank you again for the opportunity to participate in this process. We have attached in the Appendix to this report the verbatim responses from the Chamber’s online survey, a sample of responses from the door-to-door survey and a comprehensive list of the raw data collected at EstesParking.com. We’ve learned a lesson from this process about the importance of normalized data – collected in a consistent way that captures verbatim written responses that can be analyzed by a neutral third party. The Chamber will continue improving our survey methods and building relations with Visit Estes Park on understanding and serving the mind of the customer. Most importantly, we want to serve this Town Board with the voice of business so you can make informed decisions that will make Estes a great place to visit, live, work and play. Page 69 Page 70 November 9, 2021 •Community and Family Advisory Board Discussion •Stormwater Utility Discussion •TABOR Restrictions/Debrucing November 23, 2021 •Home Rule Overview •Thumb Open Space Management Plan Update December 14, 2021 •179 Stanley Use Options January 11, 2022 •Quarterly CompPAC Update January 25, 2022 •Downtown Estes Loop Update Items Approved – Unscheduled: •Quarterly CompPAC Update •Downtown Loop Updates as Necessary Items for Town Board Consideration: •Governing Policies Updates •Park Planning and Pocket Parks – January 25, 2022 Future Town Board Study Session Agenda Items October 26, 2021 Page 71 Page 72