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Report regarding an Ordinance adding Chapter 2.81 to the South San Francisco Municipal Code establishing a Traffic Safety Commission. (Sarah Henricks, Management Analyst II)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council introduce an Ordinance adding Chapter 2.81 to the South San Francisco Municipal Code establishing a Traffic Safety Commission, and waive further reading.
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DISCUSSION
The City of South San Francisco (“City”) Municipal Code currently includes a three-member Parking Place Commission (PPC), which provides recommendations to the City Council and staff on the acquisition, administration, maintenance, operation, management and enforcement of the rules governing parking spaces and parking lots located within Parking District No. 1, encompassing most of the downtown business district. The duties of the PPC are set forth in the California Streets and Highway Code, Sections 35100, et seq., also known as the Parking District Law of 1951.
During a recent Boards and Commissions recruitment, the City Council expressed an interest in exploring the possibility of expanding the role of the PPC. At a May 22, 2019 Study Session, the City Attorney presented an analysis of the Parking District Law and pointed out that there is no language in state law that explicitly permits a parking place commission to assume additional duties beyond those specified in the Streets and Highway Code. The City Attorney did however state that the City could provide the members of the PPC with more duties by forming a new commission composed of those commissioners and additional appointees. The new commission would assume any additional duties beyond parking district oversight set forth in the Parking District Law.
Upon direction from the City Council, staff has prepared an Ordinance establishing a five (5) member Traffic Safety Commission (TSC) that will be composed of the three (3) members of the PPC with two (2) additional at-large members. Staff proposes that meetings of the TSC immediately follow the PPC meetings to avoid scheduling conflicts and to ensure staff and commissioner attendance efficiency. The terms of appointing the two (2) at-large commissioners would mirror those of the PPC for efficient and consistent administration of appointments: three-year terms with a four consecutive term limit. Comments from the City Council suggested that this combination of Parking Place Commissioners and two (2) at-large members would be ideal to provide greater responsibility to the Parking Place Commissioners while providing community members a forum to voice their thoughts and concerns regarding traffic issues and potential solutions.
Staff modeled the duties of the TSC on those outlined in the Cities of San Bruno and Burlingame ordinances establishing their own Traffic Safety and Parking Commissions. Staff proposes giving the TSC a broader subject matter for study and consideration, including, but not limited to policy, programming, improvements, operation, and maintenance of traffic facilities throughout the City. As an advisory body to City staff, major TSC duties include (1) providing a venue for the public to bring traffic related concerns, questions, or suggestions to the City, (2) providing recommendations to staff on traffic improvements, and (3) suggesting design and improvement techniques for lighting and traffic flow on City streets, among others. The proposed ordinance provides a more detailed description of proposed duties.
Otherwise, the proposed ordinance models the structure of the TSC after those of the PPC under SSFMC Chapter 2.64, including term limits and compensation to commissioners.
Creating a TSC with an expanded purview focused on traffic safety, while maintaining the specific parking district oversight of the PPC ensures that the PPC properly exercises its explicit authority granted by the Parking District Law. It also gives the City a new forum for exploring broader traffic related issues.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the administration of this commission as the printing of agenda packets and staff-time to prepare agenda materials and meetings is nominal and can be absorbed into the regular operating budget.
However, as outlined below, there is potential fiscal impact based on the compensation to be paid to commissioners under the proposed ordinance. This impact could vary depending on whether the City Council adopts the compensation structure as-is or amends it.
As currently drafted, all TSC commissioner would receive a $50 stipend for each regular meeting attended under the proposed ordinance. This would result in an annual impact of approximately $3,000 based on the compensation paid to all five (5) commissioners.
In the alternative, the City Council may determine that only the two (2) at-large members would be paid the $50 stipend, and the three (3) PPC Commissioners who also serve on the TSC would not. If so determined, then the annual fiscal impact would be approximately $1,200 based on the compensation paid only to the two (2) at-large members.
Finally, if the City Council determines that no TSC commissioners would be paid a stipend, then there would be no fiscal impact.
RELATIONSHIP TO STRATEGIC PLAN
Establishing a Traffic Safety Commission supports the City’s Strategic Plan to improve Community Connections by encouraging and supporting citizen engagement through service on Boards or Commissions.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that the City Council introduce and waive further reading f an Ordinance adding Chapter 2.81 to the South San Francisco Municipal Code. This ordinance would establish a Traffic Safety Commission to ensure the Parking Place Commission retains its current roles and duties established by the Parking District Law, while creating a separate, overlapping commission focused on broader traffic related issues.