RESOLUTION NO. 200278

Directing the City Manager to complete a study of downtown parking capacity to determine whether current and future downtown parking needs can be addressed by renovation of existing facilities, through new construction, or acquisition and arrangements with already-existing garage facilities.

WHEREAS, between 2007 and 2018, the General Fund covered close to $94 million out of approximately $140 million in debt service payments for parking garages with City commitments; and

WHEREAS, the Council desires to ensure there is sufficient parking for businesses and events while at the same time not spending more public funds or incentives than necessary for additional parking; and

WHEREAS, the City Auditor in March 2019 completed an audit of parking garages, finding that parking garages with long-term City financial commitments need improved planning and budgeting for capital maintenance needs; and

WHEREAS, the Council now has under consideration additional proposals for downtown parking facility improvements and taxpayer-funded subsidies to support garage construction and renovation in the greater downtown area; and

WHEREAS, the Council desires to determine the accurate amount of parking for the entire downtown area rather than looking at one downtown project at a time; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:

Section 1. That the City Manager is directed to conduct a study of downtown parking capacity including determining whether current and future downtown parking needs can be addressed by renovation of existing facilities, through new construction, or acquisition and arrangements with already-existing garage facilities and to report back such findings to the Council within 90 days of the effective date of this resolution. The study shall include, at a minimum, the following:

a.                   Identification of the total inventory of parking capacity that currently exists in downtown Kansas City, inclusive of all sources, private and public.

b.                  Projections for the total capacity needed in future years given the expected growth of jobs and residential units downtown, transit development, convention and entertainment uses, and other relevant trends.

c.                   Recommendations for meeting these future trends in the most cost-effective manner, including, but not limited to, renovation of existing City-owned or supported parking structures, incentivizing new construction of parking garages, and the opportunities to convert existing parking structures to other uses.

d.                  Recommendations for governance structures to enable the management of parking demand, including potential deliberative structures, and needs on a long-term basis, based on best practices in other jurisdictions.

Section 2. That the City Manager is further directed to provide a response within 30 days to Council on what actions were taken related to recommendations made in the March 2019 parking garages audit conducted by the City Auditor.

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