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HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 24-1797 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 24-1797 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council January 9, 2024 ram° Page 1 of 2 mL m a i7 Y * rrn SUBJECT: VALET LICENSE AND PARKING METER RENTAL PROCESSES The purpose of this informal report is to provide information about Transportation and Public Works' ("TPW') processes to issue valet licenses and parking meter rentals. Valet License Process On May 7, 2002, the City Council approved Ordinance No. 15092, codified in Chapter 30, Article VI of the Fort Worth City Code and more commonly known as the City's valet parking ordinance (the "Ordinance"), to regulate valet parking services in the City of Fort Worth (the "City") and manage the related traffic flow in the public right-of-way. The Ordinance was amended in 2016, through the approval of Ordinance No. 22224-05-2016, to clarify its applicability, modify the permit application process, increase the time limit for standing vehicles at hotels, and to make other minor revisions. The Ordinance allows the City to issue licenses to businesses for the operation of valet parking services in City rights-of-way. Valet parking service means a business, or any part of a business, which provides a person to receive a vehicle from a patron of a commercial establishment or commercial activity and operate it to and from a parking location so that the patron and any passengers in the vehicle may unload and load at their immediate destination without the necessity of locating a space and parking their own vehicle. The Ordinance requires a person who desires to operate a valet parking service on public right- of-way to apply, in writing, to the Director of TPW for a valet parking license. The application must include certain information, including proof of insurance coverage as required by the Ordinance. Following application review and approval, the TPW Director, or their staff designee, issues a valet parking license to the Licensee. Licenses are issued on an annual basis and expire on December 31 st of each calendar year. Valet parking service providers are audited once every six months to ensure that the licensees continue to meet the Ordinance's standards of operation, including but not limited to not blocking or impeding pedestrian crosswalks and vehicular travel lanes. A license may be revoked if the licensee fails to comply with the requirements of the Ordinance, or, as may be determined by the TPW Director, the operation of the valet parking service endangers the safety of persons or property or unreasonably interferes with traffic, permitted objects near the valet location, or other existing uses. A license may also be temporarily suspended if the public right-of-way reserved for the valet parking service is needed for construction, maintenance, or repair of streets or utilities. Parking Meter Rental Process It is sometimes necessary to temporarily close streets, and rent or bag parking meters due to construction work, or other special events, being performed in the street, sidewalk, or adjacent property. The City Council has authorized the Director of TPW to review requests for the temporary closure of streets and to grant such requests in accordance with the guidelines of Chapter 11 of the Fort Worth Transportation Engineering Manual (the "Manual"). The City Council, by and through M&C G-19535 and Resolution No. 5083-05-2019, adopted the Manual to serve as an update to the Traffic Engineering Design Standards and Policy Guidelines and is ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 24-1797 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council January 9, 2024 ram° Page 2 of 2 mL m a i7 Y * rrn SUBJECT: VALET LICENSE AND PARKING METER RENTAL PROCESSES intended to promote consistency of traffic and transportation design practices with the street elements of the Master Thoroughfare Plan and other City ordinances and policies. Among other things, the Manual details the process to rent or bag meters in conjunction with construction activity or special events. The parking meter rental process is only applicable in locations where parking meters exist in core business and entertainment districts (i.e. Central Business, University, Cultural, Hospital Districts). When it is deemed necessary to rent or bag meters for construction activity, an initial permit fee per metered space per day is required. This typically occurs when the construction activity would cause an interruption in on-street parking and meter operation. For certain Special Events, as defined by the City's Outdoor Events Ordinance (Article XII, Section 20, of the Fort Worth City Code), there may be a reasonable need to rent or bag meters for the event. When there is such a need, the City Traffic Engineer is empowered to authorize meter rentals for the event, and an initial permit fee per metered space per day is required. The Outdoor Events Ordinance application process requires the event organizers to comply with the Outdoor Events Ordinance to ensure, among other things, the event organizers attend a Pre- Event Committee Meeting and provide notice to surrounding property owners before a permit is approved. TPW confirms that a permit is approved for the specific event before proceeding with a meter rental under the guidelines of the Manual. Parking Meter Request forms are processed and meters are bagged by the Parking Management Section of TPW. A minimum 48 hours of notice is required prior to a meter rental request date to allow TPW staff to bag meters. The City bags meters, on average, between 12 to 24 hours ahead of the request time for all such events but not later than 8.30 p.m. the day prior to the rental day(s). TPW requires immediate payment and, in some case, payment in advance. In limited circumstances, and where the City Traffic Engineer finds such use to be in the public interest and for the general welfare, certain non-profit organizations may be granted limited use of metered spaces without charge. However, such requests are limited to no more than four metered spaces and for periods not exceeding one day at a time. The City Council has the authority waive these fees when the City Council deems an event to be of sufficient importance to the public. For questions, please contact Peter Elliott, Transportation and Public Works Administrative Services Manager at 817-392-7977. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS