In what has been a seesaw affair, the Hoboken City Council and the Hoboken Parking Authority have apparently come to a consensus on the city’s resident parking program changes and new fees. The changes to the resident, visitor and business parking permit rules have been, since the beginning of December, a hot topic and have caused some debate among the Hoboken Parking Authority (HPA) and the City Council.
Wednesday night, the council cast a final vote on an ordinance that changed rates for the city’s parking permits. It also held an initial vote to introduce regulation changes that determine where cars can park in town. A final vote on those changes will be held next month.
For the permit price changes, business permits will be raised from $50 to $75 per year. The council also added a provision so that businesses can purchase a one-month business permit for $35 and a six-month permit for $50.
There was talk that the business permit fees might rise to $100 or more, but 6th Ward Councilman A. Nino Giacchi said that it was not the intention of the council to hurt businesses. “The ordinance that we want to pass is going to give residents some advantages when it comes to parking,” said Giacchi. “So we felt that hitting businesses with a big fee increase would not be fair. I think a $25 increase is reasonable.”
In a compromise suggested by 2nd Ward Councilman Richard DelBoccio, a member of the council’s Transportation Subcommittee, Hoboken residents who legally reside in Hoboken but have a rental car or other temporary vehicle with out-of-state plates can purchase a temporary for $1-per-day pass. Visitor passes have been raised for $1 to $3 per day. The resolution passed unanimously and goes into effect immediately.
The new fee changes join the raise of residential permit fees from $5 to 10, which was approved at the last council meeting on Feb. 6.
Permit regulation changes
While the fees are settled, the actual rules that govern the program are not completely finalized. When an ordinance is introduced, it has to await a second and third vote at a subsequent council meeting.
A public hearing on the proposals is scheduled for the next City Council meeting March 6 at City Hall at 7 p.m. If passed at that meeting, there is a 20-day window before the ordinance become law.
For the first time in the entire process, it appeared Wednesday the city and the HPA were on the same page when it came to the proposals. “[The program] has been worked and then re-worked, then it was revised and revised again,” said Councilman Giacchi, who is also a member of the council’s Transportation Subcommittee. “Throughout this entire process, our goal was to give the people who resided here, those people who pay taxes, a little bit of leg up on the parking situation.”
Giacchi added that the council has the option to revisit the issue if new regulations are put into place and there are problems.
The biggest change, if passed, is that effective 24 hours a day, seven days a week on all city streets – except on announced holidays and except in areas covered by metered parking – one side of every street will be designated “Resident Permit Parking Only.” No visitor, business, or temporary passes will be accepted and there will be no grace period.
Cars will be ticketed immediately if they do not have a residential sticker. In areas marked “Permit Parking Only,” resident, visitor, business and temporary permits are allowed and there will be a four-hour grace period for cars without any permits.
According to the City Administrator Laurie Cotter, the city would have to make new signs to mark the changes. She added that the city’s Signal and Traffic Division would make the signs and the city would pay for them. While the city officials have not counted how many signs will be needed, Councilman DelBoccio estimated that each long block would need at least six new signs and each short block at least four.
Giving it the boot
Another major change in policy that was announced Wednesday for the first time was that the HPA, if the ordinance is adopted, is going back to booting cars that are violating residential parking regulations. According the HPA Commissioner Daniel DeCavaignac, a car will be ticketed and booted immediately once is found to be in violation. There will be a $100 fee to remove the boot. Booting will not begin until the ordinance passes and goes into effect.
If the car goes unclaimed for more than 48 hours, the HPA will tow the car, and the owner will have to pay fees associated with the towing.
“We felt this provision was important so that people don’t drive into our city and make it a parking lot,” said Councilman DelBoccio.
Transportation Subcommittee chairman Ruben Ramos Jr. added during the Wednesday night caucus meeting before the City Council meeting that changes are there to give residents more options and to encourage visitors and businesses to use the city’s under-utilized parking garages.
“The goal is to encourage patrons and visitors to the city to use the city’s garages,” he said.
When it comes to business permits, the council intends to limit each business establishment to no more than 20 valid business permits. There is a provision where the HPA has the right to grant business permits in special circumstances, but according to DelBoccio, owners “better come up with a pretty good reason” to be given extra permits.
Business permits will be valid everywhere in the city except in the areas marked “Resident Permit Parking Only.”
Also tightened, if passed, are the acceptable forms of proof of residency. According to the ordinance, the following are acceptable proof of residency for a owner of vehicle: a copy of a valid New Jersey drivers license reflecting an address in the city of Hoboken, a copy of a valid New Jersey motor vehicle registration for which the permit is sought showing an address in the city of Hoboken, and a copy of a valid auto insurance card showing an address in the city of Hoboken.
If the vehicle is leased and used by a resident, a copy of the valid New Jersey motor vehicle registration, valid insurance showing an address in the city of Hoboken, and a copy of the lease reflecting the applicant’s address in Hoboken need to be presented to the HPA.
Also upon application to the HPA, a resident parking permit may be issued to a legal Hoboken resident for use on a company-owned vehicle notwithstanding the state registration of the car.
HPA commissioner Daniel DeCavaignac, who assisted in writing the proposed ordinance, was on hand to lend support. “I think we are now on the same page,” said DeCavaignac before the start of the City Council meeting. “I believe that this ordinance will be effective in providing more parking for residents without significant negative impact to businesses.”