The debate over implementing paid parking at city-owned lots in Bradenton Beach took a turn June 20 when commissioners postponed a decision on a contract to hire a vendor.
The commission in April 2023 greenlighted a study to evaluate implementing paid parking at city lots.
Proposals for paid-parking were later divided into two groups:
- Parking at a city-owned lot between Church and Highland avenues;
- City-owned lots on Bridge Street; city hall at 107 Gulf Drive N.; Lou Barolo Park, 107 Fourth St. N.; a shared lot at the BridgeWalk Resort on First Street North; Gulfside near the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge; and possible spaces at the Tingley Library if the building were to be elevated.
Commissioners in March voted for city attorney Ricinda Perry to negotiate a contract with Beach to Bay Investments, owned by developer Shawn Kaleta, to implement paid parking at the Church and Highlands avenues lot.
The commission opted to consider a city-run parking program for the remainder of city-owned lots, authorizing Mayor John Chappie and Police Chief John Cosby to study the issue.
Chappie, during a June 6 commission meeting, discussed the results of their study.
“We met with the city of Sarasota, with their paid-parking staff, and they are operating in the red and have been the last five years,” Chappie said.
A work session is the best choice to continue discussions about implementing paid parking, the mayor said at a June 20 meeting.
So commissioners agreed to hold a work meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, at city hall.
Regarding the Church-Highland lot, Perry encouraged commissioners to decide on the contract she already negotiated with Beach to Bay.
“We still need to address that contract,” she said. “You did select a bidder to take over the south tower lot and provide parking services. You’ve already selected the bidder. Now we need to move forward with their services.”
Chappie asked if the decision could hold.
Perry said, “No,” and reviewed the proposed contract.
“Just so you know this is not fully negotiated,” she said. “I was the one who originally started the contract. This came from the city’s side.”
Perry said Beach to Bay created a design and site plan with 33 parking spaces in the lot and offered to make improvements, including landscaping, storm-water retention, pedestrian walkways and trash receptacles without cost to the city.
Under the proposed five-year contract, the city would split 50/50 any profits.
Beach to Bay requested a reimbursement clause for improvements if the city terminated the contract before the developers recouped their investment.
“I think we need to see a breakdown of costs and a projection to see what they think they are going to make,” Commissioner Ralph Cole said. “I’d like to know what the costs are going to be.”
Commissioner Debbie Scaccianoce voiced concern with inconsistencies in information presented to the board.
“Everything is kind of vague with the landscaping and the hardscaping and there’s not a site plan with our packet,” she said. “I agree with Ralph, and I also agree that they are doing a lot of work. So, in all fairness, if we terminate the contract, they should be reimbursed, but we should at least have a heads-up of what that will look like. We can’t make a decision with the vague generalities that we have right now.”
Another stumbling block for commissioners involved parking rates.
Under the proposed agreement, once Beach to Bay completed its improvement obligations, it would become “the sole manager of the lot for all parking spaces as a municipal parking facility. All decisions as to changes, charges and rates and the timing and modifications, shall be made by the operator in its sole discretion.” This means the city would not determine an hourly rate for parking.
Cole said he was unsure about allowing another entity to make pricing decisions for city lots.
“We have people already complaining about $15 an hour,” he said, referring to rates charged at private pay-by-plate properties owned by Kaleta.
“I think we should look at something that puts a limit on how much they can charge,” he said.
Perry replied, “At the time that you made the selection of the RFP, you essentially negotiated the bare-bones terms and conditions and they agreed to it at that time. An open-ended determination of cost to be determined by them, the operator, was agreed upon by the city.”
City building inspector Darin Cushing said the parking lot work would require a site plan by a civil engineer.
After some back and forth, the commission continued its discussion to the next meeting — noon Thursday, July 18, at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N.
Go to islander.org to review an aerial photo that identifies parking lots in the city core.