CITY OF HOMER

HOMER, ALASKA

                                                                                                    City Manager

RESOLUTION 08-81

 

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF HOMER, ALASKA, REQUESTING THAT THE ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TRANSFER PARKING MANAGEMENT AND ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY WITHIN THE STERLING HIGHWAY RIGHT OF WAY BETWEEN FREIGHT DOCK ROAD AND FISH DOCK ROAD TO THE CITY OF HOMER.

 

            WHEREAS, The Sterling Highway between Freight Dock Road and Fish Dock Road becomes extremely busy and congested with delivery trucks, commercial vehicles, port traffic, busses, RVs, vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians during the summer months; and 

 

            WHEREAS, This year the City of Homer hired two summer enforcement officers in the Police Department in large part to cope with parking issues and to enforce state parking statutes along this section of road; and 

 

            WHEREAS, The Port and Harbor Advisory Commission has expressed concern about public safety and about the present allocation of limited parking space; and

 

            WHEREAS, The Port and Harbor Advisory Commission and the Advisory Planning Commission recently conducted a joint workshop to discuss Homer Spit parking issues and forwarded joint recommendations to the City Council; and

 

            WHEREAS, The recommendations included implementing parking space size limitations, limiting parking to one side of the road, creating loading zones, improving sight lines for those emerging from ramp parking areas, and creating a broad pedestrian zone; and

 

            WHEREAS, On street parking within the Sterling Highway Right of Way is under the control of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities; and

 

            WHEREAS, At the joint Advisory Planning Commission / Port and Harbor Advisory Commission workshop, a DOT/PF Right of Way agent stated that the City could assume management and enforcement authority along the Sterling Highway if it entered into an agreement with the State.

 

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Homer City Council finds that it is in the best interest of the City and of public safety generally for the City to assume parking authority within the Right of Way of the Sterling Highway in this area because it would be able to respond to local parking problems in a specific and concentrated area in a quicker and more efficient manner; and

 

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council hereby requests that the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities transfer parking management and enforcement authority within the Sterling Highway Right of Way between Freight Dock Road and Fish Dock Road to the City of Homer; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council authorizes the City Manager to contact DOT/PF and initiate discussions regarding the process to initiate the transfer of responsibility as quickly as possible.

 

PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Homer City Council this 28th day of July, 2008.

 

                                                                                    CITY OF HOMER

 

                                                                                    _____________________________

                                                                                    JAMES C. HORNADAY, MAYOR

 

ATTEST:

 

______________________________

JO JOHNSON, CMC, CITY CLERK

 

Fiscal Note: Not determined. Could include the cost of signage, striping, flashing lights, parking meters, enforcement costs, parking ordinance development. It depends upon the parking plan ultimately adopted.