HomeMy WebLinkAboutCM San Rafael Residential Parking Permit Program____________________________________________________________________________________
FOR CITY CLERK ONLY
Council Meeting: February 5, 2024
Disposition: Authorized City Manager to execute agreement, with the authority to amend this agreement
up to an additional $75,000 for additional phases of work and appropriate $225,000 to the Parking Division’s
Fiscal Year 2023-24 Contractual Services Budget
Agenda Item No: 4.b
Meeting Date: February 5, 2024
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
Department: City Manager’s Office
Prepared by: Bernadette Sullivan, Senior
Management Analyst
City Manager Approval: ______________
TOPIC: SAN RAFAEL RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT PROGRAM
SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND ENTER INTO A
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH DIXON RESOURCES UNLIMITED
FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMIT PROGRAM IN
THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $150,000 WITH THE AUTHORITY TO AMEND THIS
AGREEMENT UP TO AN ADDITIONAL $75,000 FOR ADDITIONAL PHASES OF
WORK AND APPROPRIATE $225,000 TO THE PARKING DIVISION’S FISCAL YEAR
2023-24 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES BUDGET.
RECOMMENDATION:
1.Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and enter into a Professional Services Agreement with
Dixon Resources Unlimited for the development of a residential parking permit program, in the
amount not to exceed $150,000, with the authority to amend this agreement up to an additional
$75,000 for additional phases of work.
2.Appropriate $225,000 to the Parking Division’s Fiscal Year 2023-24 Contractual Services
budget.
BACKGROUND:
The City of San Rafael’s current residential parking permit policy has not been widely utilized due for
several reasons, including its thresholds to establish a permit program. For example, initiating the
residential parking permit program requires a request to the City’s Traffic Coordinating Committee as well
as petition of no less than 1,500 residences, with at least 67% of those residences voting in favor to
establish the parking permit. Then, an initial city-funded parking study assesses on-street parking
utilization, verifying at least 75% occupancy. Upon study validation and approval from the City Council,
enforcement measures would be established, and a one-time fee would be charged to the program
participants covering the start-up costs. Finally, a majority of the district's occupants must purchase the
permits, which would be reissued annually, with guest permits also available. The City’s current
residential parking permit policy is available here.
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2
Increasing population, growing housing density, and evolving transportation needs have led to parking
issues in many San Rafael neighborhoods. Recognizing the necessity for a new and adaptable parking
permit program to address these challenges, City staff propose the creation of an updated program that
will be developed in phases, with the first phase focusing on East San Rafael (ESR) due to its urgent
parking issues and longstanding requests from the community, followed by a subsequent phases that
would extend to other areas of San Rafel. Each phase focusing on the unique issues and needs of each
neighborhood while ensuring that the citywide program and policy is equitable.
Specifically in response to ongoing concerns in East San Rafael (ESR), the City has conducted
discussions, studies, regulatory adjustments, and implementation of potential solutions to alleviate the
parking problems and optimize existing conditions. The City Council initiated a comprehensive 6-month
study in 2017, focusing on assessing existing parking conditions in ESR and developing sustainable and
actionable parking solutions. The insights gained in the East San Rafael Parking Study played a crucial
role in shaping regulatory reforms, aimed at both residential and commercial zones. Information on
current projects, previous actions taken, and a timeline of events surrounding parking in ESR is available
here.
Despite these studies and regulatory reforms, parking remains a challenge in ESR. Given this, the City
Council, through their Fiscal Years 2023-2024 and 2024-25 Goals and Objectives, directed staff to
assess the feasibility and revise the City’s current residential parking permit program to address
overcrowding of neighborhood parking in a cost-neutral and equitable manner.
ANALYSIS:
To identify potential consultants to develop a residential parking permit program, the City Manager’s office
in coordination with the Parking Services division issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) from qualified
mobility, traffic, and parking consulting firms on November 2, 2023. As a result, the City received three
proposals. Proposals were evaluated by staff based on the criteria specified in the RFP, including but
not limited to project understanding, commitment to stakeholder and community engagement, creative
program development, timeline and approach, previous experience, and price. A staff panel interviewed
all three proposers and recommends awarding the contract to Dixon Resources Unlimited (Dixon).
Dixon’s proposed scope of work is attached as Exhibit A
Dixon is a nationally recognized firm known for their development of unique, forward-thinking, and award-
winning parking management solutions. Most notably, their experience includes developing parking
programs for other cities in California with similar community and neighborhood dynamics to San Rafael.
Their proposed scope of work details Dixon’s emphasis on the value of balancing equity and accessibility
when designing new permit programs, policies, and fee structures, as well as Dixon’s strong commitment
to increased community engagement aligned with the City's objective creating an equitable program and
of involving residents in shaping parking solutions. In addition to their innovative ideas and expertise,
references for Dixon provided positive feedback that solidified their reputation for excellence in the field.
Dixon’s Technical Approach:
Dixon’s approach includes beginning the project by conducting a comprehensive review of relevant
project documents and conducting an on-site assessment to establish a detailed site context. The team
will then prepare a comparable cities analysis of parking permit codes and policies, incorporating
community and City staff feedback. Following this, additional data collection will be carried out in the East
San Rafael area, including an inventory of available parking and License Plate Recognition-based data
collection to measure parking utilization throughout the day and night. The collected data will be analyzed
SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 3
using the DIXON Rapid LPR Tool to inform data-driven policy adjustments. Stakeholder engagement,
community meetings, and public input campaigns will be conducted to gather feedback and build
consensus. The project will culminate in the development of a Parking Action Plan with residential parking
permit program recommendations that can be adapted to fit the needs of all San Rafael neighborhoods,
including policy development, enforcement strategies, and key performance indicators, which will be
presented to the City Council following the completion of the first phase of work.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH:
The City has engaged the community and key stakeholders to discuss neighborhood parking issues over
the last several years, including meetings with the East San Rafael Parking Taskforce, East San Rafael
Working Group, and others.
For this project, the City shared the RFP on platforms such as the International Parking & Mobility Institute
(IPMI) and California Mobility and Parking Association (CMPA) webpages, as well as the City's official
website and social media pages. Additionally, the project gained visibility through a feature in the Marin
Independent Journal, which highlighted the projects goals and potential impact.
This project will include a robust community engagement program, which will include Dixon
coordinating at least fourteen stakeholder meetings.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The recommendation included in this report would authorize a contract expenditure of up to $225,000.
Funding to support this cost is available within the Parking Fund (501) fund balance. Staff is also
recommending appropriating funds to amend the Parking Services Division’s Fiscal Year 2023-24
budget for contractual services.
OPTIONS:
The City Council has the following options to consider on this matter:
1.Authorize the City Manager to enter into the agreement as recommended.
2.Do not authorize the City Manager to enter into the agreement and provide further direction to
staff.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
1.Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and enter into a Professional Services Agreement with
Dixon Resources Unlimited for the development of a residential parking permit program, in the
amount not to exceed $150,000, with the authority to amend this agreement up to an additional
$75,000 for additional phases of work.
2.Appropriate $225,000 to the Parking Division’s Fiscal Year 2023-24 Contractual Services budget.
ATTACHMENT:
1.Exhibit A- Scope of Work
Prepared by Dixon Resources Unlimited
Residential Parking
Permit Program
Development
(Revised)
Proposal
City of San Rafael
January 10, 2024
DIXON | Residential Parking Permit Program Development – San Rafael Page 1 of 30
Section 1. Transmittal Letter
January 10, 2024
Bernadette Sullivan, Senior Management Analyst
City of San Rafael
1400 5th Avenue
San Rafael, CA 94901
Dear Ms. Sullivan,
Dixon Resources Unlimited (DIXON) is pleased to submit this revised proposal to the
City of San Rafael (City) to provide parking consultant support services to assist in
modernizing the City’s residential parking permit policies and aid in the development
of an equitable Resident Permit Parking (RPP) Program.
We have been responsible for developing, optimizing, and implementing residential
permit programs and related policies all over California. We will leverage that unique
expertise to conduct a thorough review of the City’s current program, review related
municipal codes, prepare a comparable cities analysis, and collect parking inventory
and utilization information for the existing supply of on-street parking spaces. We will
use this information to develop a distinctive program for the City that initially focuses
on the vibrant and diverse East San Rafael (ESR) area, but may be applied citywide.
We value the importance of balancing equity and accessibility when designing new
permit programs, policies, and fee structures, and our team members are experts at
navigating these important concepts. Our clients will tell you that community
engagement and consensus is a critical step when identifying the solution that will work
for the City, and our team will work closely with the City and stakeholder groups to
develop code language and policy recommendations that work for San Rafael.
We have a thorough understanding of the challenges faced by the City, especially the
impacts on residential parking supply due to high-density developments, housing
shortages, inadequate parking minimums, population growth, and overall economic
development. DIXON has provided for cities throughout California, including the cities
of Tustin (CA), Santa Ana (CA), Newport Beach (CA), and Pasadena (CA). Most recently,
we supported the City of Sausalito (CA) in integrating their residential permit
processing and fulfillment services with their existing Citation Management System
(CMS) provider, to transition the City away from in-house permit management to an
easy and convenient online solution. We have developed program recommendations
for municipalities around the nation. This has provided us with an advantage over other
consulting firms and allowed us to develop a wealth of best practices, policy language,
implementation strategies, and tools to draw from to support the City in this process.
Our experience speaks for itself, as we are currently supporting the City of Costa Mesa
(CA) to re-launch its RPP program. Costa Mesa adopted a unique approach to
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reimagine their RPP program from the ground up, including policies and eligibility
criteria developed through robust community engagement efforts that included
exhaustive public outreach, even during the height of the pandemic. The City of Costa
Mesa’s efforts and imaginative RPP program design was recently recognized as the
2023 California Parking Program of the Year by the California Mobility & Parking
Association (CMPA).
DIXON has regional parking experience and has provided support for many cities
around the Bay Area, including Alameda (CA), Berkeley (CA), San Leandro (CA), Palo
Alto (CA), and Napa (CA), just to name a few. Additionally, DIXON has what other firms
lack: direct, hands-on implementation support experience. We know what it takes to
get the program off the ground and how to proactively engage with the communities
we work in to build data-driven policy improvements and maintain a program that will
last.
Lastly, our team has supported some of the largest parking programs in the US,
including Los Angeles (CA), San Francisco (CA), and Denver (CO). Whether big or
small, each community has its own charm and distinctive features, and at DIXON, we
pride ourselves in our ability to work directly with community stakeholders to capture
their specific needs and wants. Our team has the exact resources and experience the
City of San Rafael needs to future-proof and re-establish its RPP Program.
DIXON is a California-certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), Small
Business Enterprise (SBE), and Women-owned Business Enterprise (WBE) consulting
firm. We are available to begin work immediately upon notice to proceed from the City.
I, Julie Dixon, am the Principal Consultant and will serve as the designated contact for
this proposal, with the legal authority to bind the company.
Sincerely,
Julie Dixon, President
julie@dixonresourcesunlimited.com
(213) 716-6933
Dixon Resources Unlimited
3639 Midway Drive Suite B345
San Diego, CA 92110
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Section 2. Table of Contents
Section 1. Transmittal Letter ............................................................... 1
Section 2. Table of Contents ............................................................... 3
Section 3. Company Overview ........................................................... 4
Firm Description and Qualifications ............................................................................... 4
Industry Recognitions ...................................................................................................... 4
Municipal Track Record ................................................................................................... 5
Firm Contact Information ................................................................................................ 5
Section 4. Project Understanding and Approach ............................... 6
Project Understanding ..................................................................................................... 6
Technical Approach ......................................................................................................... 6
Scope of Work (Revised) ................................................................................................. 7
Task 1. Project Management (Revised) .......................................................................... 7
Task 2. Existing Conditions Assessment ........................................................................ 8
Task 3. Parking Utilization Pilot ....................................................................................... 9
Task 4. Public Engagement and Stakeholder Input (Revised).................................... 10
Task 5. Parking Action Plan ........................................................................................... 13
Section 5. Team Composition and Qualifications ............................. 16
Team Organization and Key Members ........................................................................ 16
Section 6. Project Timeline ............................................................... 22
Proposed Schedule (Revised) ....................................................................................... 22
Section 7. Budget and Pricing........................................................... 23
Hourly Rates .................................................................................................................... 23
Cost Estimate (Revised) ................................................................................................. 23
Section 8. References........................................................................ 25
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Section 3. Company Overview
Firm Description and Qualifications
Dixon Resources Unlimited is a California-based parking consulting firm that was
incorporated in 2012. We have extensive knowledge and hands-on experience with
the solicitation, development, deployment, operation, and maintenance of solutions
ranging from municipal parking programs to automated enforcement systems. Over
the past 11 years, DIXON has been responsible for establishing policies, defining
objectives, and delivering initiatives for municipalities of all sizes. With over 30 years of
parking and transportation management experience, Julie Dixon founded DIXON with
the direct goal of supporting municipal parking programs. We consider ourselves to
be “Parking Coaches” because we offer best-in-class municipal parking solutions
across a broad spectrum, including:
Policies and Planning Parking Data Operations
Operational Audits Data Collection Permit Management
Municipal Code Updates Parking Studies Staffing Assessments
Community Outreach Data Analysis Citation Management
Implementation Plans Heat Maps Revenue Reconciliation
Council Presentations Financial Reporting RFP Specifications
Financial Projections Integrations Procurement Support
Based on industry awareness and familiarity with parking policies and current
developments, DIXON has been sought for feedback and direction from parking
programs both nationally and globally. Our knowledge of parking processes, policy,
technology, and service solutions provides a measurable benefit to our customers.
Industry Recognitions
DIXON was recently recognized as a 2023 Organization of the Year by the
International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI) for our extensive contributions to the
parking and mobility industry and the exemplary service we provide to our clients. In
the past few years, DIXON has helped transform many projects into award-winning
parking programs, including:
California Mobility & Parking Association
2018 Parking Program of the Year:
City of San Leandro
2019 Parking Program of the Year:
City of Laguna Beach
2022 Parking Program of the Year:
City of Paso Robles
2023 Parking Program of the Year:
City of Costa Mesa
Parking Today
2019 Innovative Use of Technology:
City of Seal Beach
2020 Excellence in Technology and
Innovation for On-Street Parking:
City of Paso Robles
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Municipal Track Record
DIXON has acquired an impressive client list and the table below highlights some of
our notable projects and regional experience:
AK Juneau CA Paso Robles MI Birmingham
AR Little Rock CA San Francisco (SFMTA) MT Whitefish
AZ Tempe CA San Leandro NE La Vista
CA Alameda CA Santa Ana NJ Atlantic City
CA Berkeley CA Sausalito NJ Princeton
CA Beverly Hills CA Seal Beach NM Albuquerque
CA Costa Mesa CO Boulder NV Las Vegas
CA Laguna Beach CO Denver OH Columbus
CA Los Angeles (LADOT) CT New Haven OR Beaverton
CA Monterey CT Stamford OR Portland
CA Mountain View FL Fort Lauderdale TX Dallas
CA Napa FL Tallahassee TX McKinney
CA Newport Beach HI Maui UT Park City
CA Norwalk ID Boise UT Springdale
CA Oceanside ID Ketchum WA Spokane
CA Palo Alto IL Oak Park WA Vancouver
CA Pasadena MI Ann Arbor WI Milwaukee
The number of projects that we have and continue to support demonstrates the scale
of the impact that we have made. DIXON stays engaged with all its clients, and we
continue to provide guidance and direction to City staff when needed—an additional
level of personalization that makes a significant difference to our customers.
Due to our wide range of clientele and breadth of parking experience, we are
exceptionally knowledgeable about industry best practices related to on- and off-street
parking operations, policies, codes, management, staffing, training plans, compliance,
enforcement, permit and citation management systems, technical specifications,
emerging parking technology and current solutions, long-term strategic planning.
Firm Contact Information
Firm Name: Dixon Resources Unlimited
Contact Name: Julie Dixon, President
Address: 3639 Midway Drive Suite B345
San Diego, CA 92110
Phone: (213) 716-6933
Fax: (619) 221-8006
E-mail: julie@dixonresourcesunlimited.com
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Section 4. Project Understanding and Approach
Project Understanding
DIXON has assessed, designed, built, and operated many successful parking programs
around the country and our experience and operational understanding of the details
involved provides a unique perspective unlike any other consulting firm. We have
worked closely with municipalities throughout California experiencing similar
challenges with designing equitable and accessible permit parking programs, and
developing right-sized policy adjustments is what we do best.
We are proud to have supported the City of Costa Mesa (CA) as it navigated a complete
overhaul of their Residential Parking Permit (RPP) Program, which resulted in a state-
of-the-art, award-winning system that addressed equity concerns, including those
related to California Attorney General opinion (#14-304) regarding residential parking
permits, and the implementation of a seamless permit processing and fulfillment
process fully integrated with the City’s Citation Management System (CMS) provider.
The program that Costa Mesa developed was designed to empower their residents to
make informed decisions about RPP Program eligibility and participation, and our team
can leverage those efforts to assist the City of San Rafael in developing a modern,
scalable RPP Program that incorporates the effective use of technology and provides
inclusiveness across a broad range of community stakeholders and residents.
Technical Approach
For this project, we will begin with a comprehensive review of relevant project
documents and conduct an on-site assessment to develop a detailed site context. We
will prepare and circulate a comparable cities analysis of applicable parking permit
codes, policies, and best practices for City staff to review. Based on staff input and
feedback, we will outline initial findings and begin to draft municipal code update
recommendations.
DIXON will then develop a data collection plan to survey residential parking conditions
within the East San Rafael (ESR) area. Our data collection will include an inventory of
available parking and perform two days of data collection utilizing a License Plate
Recognition (LPR) -based approach that will generate parking utilization and
occupancy measurements. This utilization data can then be analyzed through the
DIXON Rapid LPR Tool, which provides metrics and visualizations that will aid us and
the City in developing data-driven policy adjustments. DIXON’s expert data analysts
can prepare and circulate detailed maps with results from the data collection analysis.
We are excellent at facilitating stakeholder engagement, community meetings, and
public input campaigns, and we routinely receive positive feedback from our clients
about our inclusiveness and accommodation for all stakeholder groups. We will
coordinate with the City to develop a plan to engage with community stakeholders and
residents throughout the project. Multiple bilingual public meetings and an online
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survey will be used to gather public opinion, community feedback, evaluate draft
policy and code recommendations, and begin to build consensus in the community.
Throughout the process, DIXON will work closely with the City staff, elected officials,
and identified key stakeholders to develop a Parking Action Plan with RPP Program
recommendations, including policy and program development criteria, permit
processing and fulfillment strategies, enforcement strategies and associated cost
estimates, as well as a plan for RPP Program implementation. The recommendations
contained within our Parking Action Plan will incorporate lessons learned in other
California cities, industry best practices, strategies to mitigate parking equity and
accessibility issues, a rubric for permit program adoption and expansion, and key
performance indicators (KPIs) that will provide the City a framework for periodic policy
review and assessment that can scale with the City’s RPP Program over time.
Finally, we are prepared to support City staff with presentations of a draft Parking
Action Plan at public meetings to gather feedback and comments from San Rafael City
Council Subcommittee members. As needed, our team will assist City staff in
developing detailed Staff Reports and presentation materials. We will then revise a final
Parking Action Plan and RPP Program policy and code language recommendations
and present that to the San Rafael City Council for final review and adoption.
Scope of Work (Revised)
The following workplan details the revised technical approach, methodology, specific
tasks, and associated deliverables that our team will perform, inclusive of the City’s
request for more robust community engagement and an extended timeline for
implementation.
Task 1. Project Management (Revised)
Our team will work closely with designated City staff to support a collaborative project
management approach. Our team will schedule a virtual project kickoff meeting and
bi-weekly calls with the designated City staff to provide project updates, collaborate,
and address challenges. Additional meetings may be scheduled, as required.
Task 1.1 Kick-off Meeting. The initial virtual project kick-off meeting will allow our
team to refine and confirm the scope of work, present an outline of the proposal for
the Study, prioritize objectives and tasks, finalize the schedule and timeline for
milestone deliverables, and introduce key internal stakeholders to our team.
Task 1.2 Project Management and Bi-weekly Calls. (Expanded) The City has
requested an extended timeline to support more thorough planning, additional
community meetings, and implementation. We will conduct bi-weekly project
management calls with designated City staff for the duration of the project to
accommodate the extended timeline (a revised project duration of nine (9) months).
Our team will provide meeting agendas addressing the project schedule and budget
status, highlighting complications and corrective measures, and the project's next
steps.
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Task 1.3 Document Sharing and Coordination. During the kick-off meeting, our
team will request project-relevant documents. To facilitate document sharing, our team
will establish a shared project folder (such as Dropbox, Google Drive, SharePoint, or
similar) so that City staff can provide relevant documentation for our review. We will
maintain this folder throughout the project to keep all files organized and accessible.
Task 1 Deliverables:
• DIXON will coordinate a virtual Kickoff Meeting.
• DIXON will conduct bi-weekly calls, including meeting agendas/minutes.
Task 2. Existing Conditions Assessment
We have played a key role in evaluating and supporting all aspects of parking and
mobility programs, including on-street and off-street parking operations, permit
parking strategies, curb management, and parking demand and occupancy studies.
Task 2.1 Background Materials and Document Review. Our team will review
relevant municipal codes, policies, and previous studies, including the 2017 East San
Rafael Parking Study. We will research and assess relevant case law, including existing
statutes, current and pending California Assembly Bills, the 2016 California Attorney
General opinion (#14-304), and recent court decisions that may have an impact on the
City’s RPP Program. We will request and review available parking inventory databases
and maps of the City’s current permit parking zones with associated restrictions, time
limits, and utilization data, to be provided by the City.
Task 2.2 On-site Existing Conditions Assessment. We will coordinate an on-site visit
to assess the current conditions of existing parking areas within the identified ESR
zones and tour other residential neighborhoods that are of interest for future program
expansion and implementation. While on-site, we will document, and review observed
parking congestion and utilization rates and existing parking signage. We plan to meet
with City staff to review relevant codes, policies, and programs and assess the timeline
for current and planned Capital Improvement Projects as well as future commercial and
residential developments that may impact the residential parking supply.
Task 2.3 Comparable Cities Analysis. We will research and assess up to three (3)
comparable cities to prepare an analysis of comparable municipal codes, policies,
regulations, and associated permit types, rates, fee structures, and third-party services
providers, if available. We will circulate a copy to City staff for review and comments.
Task 2.4 Outline Initial Results and Muni Code Recommendations. During our on-
site visit we will begin to document and outline initial results and recommendations for
municipal code and policy updates. Our team will begin to research potential program
enforcement and implementation costs associated with preliminary recommendations.
Task 2 Deliverables:
• DIXON will review project-relevant background materials.
• DIXON will perform an on-site assessment, including meetings with City staff.
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• DIXON will prepare a comparable cities analysis of up to three (3) cities.
Task 3. Parking Utilization Pilot
Our Data Team collects and analyzes parking utilization and inventory data for a variety
of projects. We have found that a reliable and accurate data set is essential for the
success of modern parking programs, and our cost-effective license plate recognition
(LPR)-based approach to data collection will deliver quality results.
Task 3.1 Confirm Study Area. We will
work with the City to identify a project
Study Area for parking utilization data
collection. Our proposed Study Area
aligns with previous work completed in the
2017 East San Rafael Parking Study (W-
Trans), to provide the best value for
comparison, including approximately 238
block faces of on-street public parking
locations.
Task 3.2 Inventory Collection. We will
collect available parking inventory counts
within the defined Study Area. If available,
we may incorporate existing City-provided
files, databases, and assets, including GIS-
enabled maps and inventory lists in a
DIXON-approved format.
Task 3.3 Parking Utilization Pilot.
DIXON will coordinate with the City to develop a data collection plan that leverages
mobile license plate recognition (LPR) equipment to collect parking occupancy and
utilization data within the defined Study Area.
We are proposing two (2) days of collection, including a weekday and weekend day,
with data collection intervals coinciding with early morning, mid-morning, afternoon,
and evening hours, to record parking utilization rates each day. This is our
recommended approach to evaluating occupancy and turnover rates within residential
areas, and it will be useful to demonstrate fluctuations in occupancy throughout the
day and average length of stay. However, we are flexible, and we will work with the City
to establish an agreed-upon format for collection including desired days and times.
Task 3.4 Parking Utilization Analysis. We will analyze collected parking data using
the DIXON Rapid LPR Tool to complete parking occupancy and turnover analysis for
locations within the defined project Study Area, including maps, charts, and tables
summarizing the parking supply and demand patterns, occupancy, peak usage,
turnover, and length of stay metrics for the on-street areas surveyed.
Proposed Study Area
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Task 3.5 Data Report – Detailed Utilization Maps. Our expert data analysts will
prepare static maps that incorporate GIS layers corresponding to parking inventory
information and occupancy information. We will provide these maps to City staff for
review.
Task 3 Deliverables:
• DIXON will confirm the project Study Area
• DIXON will collect available parking inventory within the Study Area.
• DIXON will perform parking utilization data collection within the Study Area on
two (2) days, including one (1) weekday and one (1) weekend day, with a
minimum of four (4) data collection times each day.
• DIXON will upload parking utilization data to the Rapid LPR Tool for analysis and
visualization of data collected within the Study Area.
• DIXON will prepare a Data Report consisting of static maps with GIS layers
corresponding to parking inventory and utilization information.
Task 4. Public Engagement and Stakeholder Input (Revised)
Stakeholder engagement and public input are two of DIXON’s specialties and our team
excels in achieving open, consistent, and invaluable public discourse. Our team knows
that the road to consensus for implementing a smart residential permit parking
program is a long one, and we believe community buy-in during program
development is critical to the initial and long-term success of the program. Our
experiences demonstrate that the inclusion of a broad range of stakeholders is integral
to the process. We have coordinated customized public input campaigns employing
personalized engagement strategies, including door-to-door canvasing, knock-and-
Example of Rapid LPR Tool Occupancy Dashboard
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talk surveys, and targeted, online surveys
accessible by a wide range of community
members. We routinely receive excellent
feedback from our clients and City Councils
who are impressed with our incredibly high
level of engagement, investment, and
involvement with stakeholder groups. Our
heavy presence in California will allow our
team to easily accommodate a variety of
bilingual public input opportunities to
build consensus within the community,
including in-person public meetings,
forums, town halls, and surveys.
Task 4.1 Develop Public Engagement Plan. Our team will collaborate with the City
to develop a Public Engagement Plan that provides transparency and inclusion with a
broad range of stakeholders and provides support for Spanish-speaking residents.
Stakeholder groups may include City staff, administration, elected officials, residents,
neighborhood groups, business community members, and others who have a stake in
the future of the RPP Program.
Task 4.2 Community Meetings. (Expanded) Our team will work with stakeholder
groups to identify their unique challenges, needs, and goals. DIXON will coordinate a
phased community outreach approach with an expanded series of in-person and
virtual meetings as described below. Spanish-language translation services will be
coordinated as necessary for each Phase of community outreach to ensure effective
communication and inclusion among the community’s various stakeholder groups.
• Phase 1: An initial round of community meetings and smaller focus group meetings
will occur towards the beginning of the project during and around the time of the
on-site existing conditions assessment. These meetings will be a chance to gather
initial public input and feedback on existing conditions, review preliminary
observations, and educate stakeholders about related parking management best
practices.
o In-person meetings during this phase will occur during our visit for the on-
site existing conditions assessment:
One (1) in-person community meeting
One (1) in-person meeting with the East San Rafael Parking Task Force
One (1) additional in-person meeting with another community group,
such as neighborhood association representatives.
One (1) in-person City Council presentation or workshop to present
“Parking 101” concepts about parking management best practices,
industry trends, key considerations, and project updates, and to solicit
initial feedback from council members.
Julie Dixon moderating a discussion
with parking stakeholders.
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o Virtual meetings will be coordinated shortly after our site visit to give
community members several more time options to choose from to maximize
participation. These will include:
One (1) virtual community meeting
Two (2) smaller virtual meetings to support any follow-up
conversations required or reach groups that were unable to meet in
person during our initial visit.
DIXON will record the virtual meetings and share a copy of the
recordings with the City afterward in case there is a desire to post the
videos to the City’s website.
o DIXON will work in collaboration with the City to identify the appropriate
stakeholder groups and confirm the meeting schedule. We will be
adaptative to meet the City’s needs. DIXON will coach the City on how to
promote the meetings and can mock-up flyers or social media content as
needed. We will also establish a project email address so that community
members may reach out at any time with additional comments.
• Phase 2: The next phase of community outreach will occur following the completion
of the parking data analysis and the online public input survey as an opportunity to
share the findings, discuss key takeaways, and present preliminary parking
management concepts for feedback.
o In-person meetings will occur during a second site visit, which will include:
One (1) in-person community meeting
One (1) smaller in-person key stakeholder group meeting
One (1) in-person City Council update presentation
o Virtual meetings will occur shortly before or after the second site visit:
One (1) virtual community meeting
One (1) smaller virtual key stakeholder group meeting
Example of virtual public engagement meeting
DIXON | San Rafael Residential Parking Permit Program Development Page 13 of 30
DIXON will record the virtual meetings and share a copy of the
recordings with the City afterward in case there is a desire to post the
videos to the City’s website.
• Phase 3: DIXON will incorporate the feedback from phase 2 as we draft our Parking
Action Plan recommendations. The third phase of community outreach will occur
once the report recommendations are outlined, and DIXON will return to
summarize the community input received to date and present the preliminary draft
recommendations for feedback.
o In-person meetings will occur during a third site visit, which will include:
One (1) in-person community meeting
One (1) smaller in-person key stakeholder group meeting
One (1) in-person City Council presentation
o Virtual meetings will occur shortly before or after the third site visit:
One (1) virtual community meeting
One (1) smaller virtual key stakeholder group meeting
DIXON will record the virtual meetings and share a copy of the
recordings with the City afterward in case there is a desire to post the
videos to the City’s website.
Task 4.3 Online Public Input Survey. DIXON will coordinate with the City to support
an online, bilingual public input survey. The online survey may be designed to gauge
public opinion and overall satisfaction with the current parking conditions, collect
suggestions for improvements and individual stakeholder requirements, gather public
input and feedback on draft RPP Program recommendations, and seek consensus from
the community. The City’s website, newsletters, social media, and other
communication tools will be used to advertise this public engagement opportunity.
Task 4 Deliverables:
• DIXON will develop a Public Engagement Plan in coordination with the City.
• DIXON will coordinate fourteen (14) stakeholder meetings, including seven (7)
in-person meetings and seven (7) virtual meetings, plus three (3) additional
Council meetings.
• DIXON will facilitate a bilingual, online public input survey.
Task 5. Parking Action Plan
DIXON will consolidate results from our previous tasks to develop a comprehensive
Parking Action Plan (Plan) for the Residential Parking Permit (RPP) Program as the final
deliverable for this project. The Plan will summarize key findings and results from
previous Tasks. The Plan will identify and provide the analysis behind a series of
strategic recommendations and implementation plan strategies for the City’s RPP
Program needs, in both near-term and long-term planning horizons.
DIXON | San Rafael Residential Parking Permit Program Development Page 14 of 30
Task 5.1 Municipal Code Update Recommendations. DIXON will begin by working
with City staff to conduct a thorough municipal ordinance review to determine
adjustments/red-line edits that will “future-proof” code language to prepare the City
for the implementation and management of a revamped permit program. Our
extensive experience working with California cities will allow us to identify issues and
address gaps in the existing code. Drawing from our experience in the Cities of Seal
Beach and Costa Mesa and other municipalities, we will compile all relevant code
sections and provide a revised version for consideration. This will include instances
where the City may be able to simplify municipal language to improve program
efficiency. We will also evaluate parking policies related to the management of multi-
family and commercial developments located adjacent to single-family residences.
Task 5.2 Draft Parking Action Plan. In developing our draft Plan recommendations,
we will utilize industry best practices and leverage our experiences with clients in
California and around the country. Our recommendations will incorporate public input
gathered during public engagement opportunities, and will include, but are not
limited to, the following areas:
• Municipal code language updates that are consistent with California law and the
Attorney General’s opinion (#14-304).
• Streamline existing residential permit parking policies, including number of
permits, program participation, and residence eligibility.
• Revised and updated RPP processes , including, but not limited to, determining
procedures to address challenges in areas where single-family and multi-family
neighborhoods are co-located, determining permit limits for vehicles per
household, evaluating permit parking options by time of day, and addressing the
effects of paid parking in adjacent commercial corridors.
• Permit management, administration, issuance and renewal strategies, permit types,
approximate fees, and evaluation of associated costs.
• Evaluation of RPP Program enforcement strategies, including pros and cons, cost
recovery, fines, towing, administration, and associated costs.
• Financial analysis of the City’s existing and proposed residential permit parking
program and recommendations for applicable permit fees; and,
• Associated implementation strategies, including estimated timeframes, costs, and
responsible parties, potential funding mechanisms, and strategies to transition
locations with existing permit restrictions.
The Plan will include recommended step-by-step policy changes specifically designed
to address the criteria for establishing residential permit parking programs in
neighborhoods throughout the city and the development of a methodology for permit
disbursement. Each recommendation will include a narrative description of benefits
and justifications for proposed policy adoption or adjustment. Where possible, our
recommendations will include an assessment of turn‐key solutions that can improve
overall residential permit parking program performance, including emerging
technology and integrations.
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The final component of the Plan will establish a framework for public communications
and information sharing regarding policies, regulations, initiatives, and the overall
goals of the Parking Action Plan. Recommendations will include anticipated needs for
marketing, public meetings, and web-based informational bulletins.
Task 5.3 Draft Plan Presentation. We will circulate draft Plan recommendations to
City staff and stakeholders to gather input and incorporate that feedback into an
updated Plan. We will assist the City in developing comprehensive Staff Reports and
are prepared to present the draft Parking Action Plan at two (2) San Rafael City Council
subcommittee meetings, including one (1) in-person presentation and one (1) virtual
presentation, to gather feedback and comments from subcommittee members.
Task 5.4 Final Action Plan. DIXON will incorporate subcommittee member feedback
into a revised, final Residential Parking Permit (RPP) Program Parking Action Plan to
City staff and stakeholders and incorporate feedback into a revised, final Parking
Action Plan. We are prepared to present the final Plan at one (1) in-person San Rafael
City Council meeting for review and adoption.
Task 5 Deliverables:
• DIXON will review and revise relevant San Rafael Municipal Code language.
• DIXON will prepare and circulate a draft Parking Action Plan to City staff.
• DIXON will attend and present at two (2) subcommittee meetings, including one
(1) in-person and one (1) remote.
• DIXON will incorporate feedback into a revised, final Parking Action Plan.
• DIXON will present the final Plan at one (1) in-person City Council meeting for
final review and adoption.
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Section 5. Team Composition and Qualifications
Team Organization and Key Members
DIXON will customize our approach and tailor our team configuration to best support
the City and all project deliverables. Our organization structure is provided here, with
our firm’s Principal Consultant, Julie Dixon as the Project Lead. Julie will oversee high-
level communication with City staff and elected officials, will provide a final review of
all project deliverables, and will coordinate community engagements and presentation
materials.
The remaining work will be supported by our Project Team. Principal Planner, Emily
Kwatinetz, will be the Project Manager. Emily will be responsible for day-to-day
communications with City staff and will direct task-based work assignments for the
Project Team, which will include support from Senior Associate, Cameron Clark, who
is responsible for leading the DIXON Data Team, Associate, Jennifer Liu, who is based
in San Francisco and is responsible for supporting many of DIXON’s Bay Area clients,
and Junior Associate, Alexis Appel, who will assist the team in conducting research,
review, report writing, and revision, depending on the task. We will not hesitate to
dedicate the required staff to achieve the City’s objectives for this project.
Julie Dixon
Principal
Consultant
Project Lead
Emily Kwatinetz
Principal Planner
Project Manager
Jennifer Liu
Associate
Alexis Appel
Junior Associate
Cameron Clark
Senior Associate
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Julie Dixon – Principal Consultant, Project Lead
Julie Dixon is the President and Founder of Dixon Resources
Unlimited, a woman-owned business, focused on providing parking
consulting services to municipalities. With over 30 years of experience
in parking and transportation management, Julie built her firm to
provide “best in class” municipal parking solutions across a broad
spectrum of areas, including operations management, customer
service, enforcement, citation processing, field maintenance, financial
reporting, procurement, and integrated solutions.
Julie began her career as the first parking enforcement officer for the Santa Barbara
County Sheriff’s Department assigned to Isla Vista while completing her bachelor’s
degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As her career path evolved, Julie
directed and managed all aspects of various complex transportation programs. Her
resume is extensive, and she recently completed her Master of Business Administration
degree at Point Loma Nazarene University. Julie has been responsible for establishing
policies, defining objectives, and delivering on initiatives for municipalities of all sizes,
working at all levels within the administration, enforcement, and adjudication processes,
and has been solicited to present at a variety of parking industry events regarding her
project experiences. She has extensive knowledge and hands -on experience with the
solicitation, development, deployment, operation, and maintenance of solutions
ranging from municipal parking programs to automated enforcement systems.
Julie was directly involved with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
(SFMTA) for the internationally recognized SFpark program. SFpark was the first federally
funded project in the United States to evaluate both on-street and off-street parking
technology and policies and their direct impact on congestion mitigation in the City.
Using real-time information to determine parking availability, SFpark successfully
implemented a demand-responsive pricing model that continues to be evaluated and
debated throughout the parking industry. She was directly responsible for the
development of specifications, solicitations, contract negotiations, technology
integration, and implementation oversight.
One of DIXON’s primary business objectives is to define and recommend parking
policies for its customers. Since founding DIXON in 2012, Julie has been focused on
coaching municipalities through operational and technology assessments and
implementation and procurement processes. Julie is responsible for the overall
management of each project for the DIXON team and prides herself on being labeled
as the “Parking Coach.” For her outstanding contributions to the parking industry, Julie
received Parking Today’s 2020 Parking Person of the Year. This Award recognizes Julie’s
exceptional dedication to improving the customer experience and image of parking
across the entire industry.
(213) 716-6933, julie@dixonresourcesunlimited.com
DIXON | San Rafael Residential Parking Permit Program Development Page 18 of 30
Emily Kwatinetz – Principal Planner, Project Manager
Emily Kwatinetz has been with DIXON for seven years, managing
projects ranging from parking and mobility studies to detailed
implementation plans. Through parking studies, data analysis,
operational audits, stakeholder outreach, and the development of
strategic recommendations, she has a track record of comprehensive
support for a variety of municipalities.
Emily earned a B.A. in Urban Studies and Planning from the University
of California, San Diego. Emily was inducted into the National Parking
Association’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2018. She also is an elected board member of the
Pacific Intermountain Parking & Transportation Association (PIPTA). Emily was recently
awarded the 2022 Emerging Leader of the Year Award by the Southwest Parking and
Transportation Association (SWPTA).
Emily has gained extensive experience with DIXON supporting numerous parking and
mobility projects during her tenure, including leading the development of a
comprehensive Parking Action Plan for the City of Monterey that provided step-by-step
recommendations and strategies to optimize the City’s parking operation. The Parking
Action Plan incorporated results from a detailed comparable city analysis, a complete
parking Revenue Modeling Workbook, and an on-site Operational Audit that examined
the City’s parking policies, programs, rates, data, and management practices. Emily has
also been integral in developing a Parking Action Plan for the City of Paso Robles which
included a thorough Implementation Strategy, and Emily created a complete Parking
Roadmap for the Town of Los Gatos that included recommendations for parking demand
management, residential area parking, enforcement, wayfinding and parking guidance,
and transportation demand management, with phased implementation steps and
strategies.
A summary of Emily’s notable projects is provided below:
• City of Santa Ana (CA) Citywide Parking Study (2022-23)
• Isla Vista Community Services District (CA) Parking Consultant Services (2023)
• City of Modesto (CA) Parking Infrastructure Implementation Plan (2022-23)
• City of Beaverton (OR) Downtown Parking Study and Action Plan (2020-23)
• City of Alameda (CA) On-Call Parking Consultant Support Services (2020-23)
• City of Downey (CA) Annual Parking Study (2019-23)
• City of Monterey (CA) Parking Operations Analysis (2018-23)
• City of Paso Robles (CA) Downtown Parking Action Plan & Implementation (2018-23)
• County of Maui (HI) Parking Action Plan and Park Maui Program Implementation (2017-23)
• Port of Seattle (WA) Shilshole Bay Marina Parking Study (2021-22)
• Pierce College (CA) Operational Needs Assessment (2019-20)
• City of Alameda (CA) Alameda Point Parking Management Plan (2019-20)
• Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Parking Modernization Program (2019-20)
(206) 499-8183, emily@dixonresourcesunlimited.com
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Cameron Clark – Senior Associate
Cameron Clark is a Senior Associate for DIXON, and he has spent over
seven years in the parking industry demonstrating his expertise in
parking curb management, data collection, analysis, and algorithmic
modeling. Previously, Cameron served as Parking Operations Manager
for a private data acquisition and analysis company, where he led all
parking data projects, including SDOT’s Annual Parking Study for four
years. Cameron was inducted into the National Parking Association’s
“40 Under 40” class of 2022 and he also serves on the International
Parking and Mobility Institute (“IPMI”) Technology Committee which
provides education on cutting‐edge technology, how to implement that technology, and
best practices on leveraging multiple technologies as the industry advances and evolves.
Cameron earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and a Minor in Computer Science from
the University of Redlands.
Cameron has conducted hundreds of parking and mobility studies, and he deeply
understands the challenges in collecting, analyzing, and modeling accurate data across
different facilities. His experience includes collection methods such as managing large
teams of field data collectors to manually gather parking inventory, occupancy, and
turnover data using map-based collection apps, mobile and static LPR, dash-cam video
collection, static video collection, drone collection, and transaction data. Cameron was
integral to the SDOT Annual Parking Study Program from 2016 – 2020 where he managed
all data collection, quality control, and analysis. Cameron supported the development of
the mobile collection application deployed for manual data collection efforts, and he was
directly involved in supporting Turnstone’s algorithmic model and methodology.
Since joining DIXON, Cameron has managed all data related projects as well as the
development of the Dixon Data Suite, including the Rapid LPR Tool, which uses mobile LPR
data to produce parking occupancy, turnover, and enforcement analysis. In San Francisco,
Cameron evaluated the accuracy of the SFMTA’s mobile LPR technologies and proved the
ability to utilize this data for high-quality occupancy and turnover analysis. The success of
this project has led to SFMTA’s use of DIXON’s Rapid LPR Tool to replace their current data
acquisition efforts for their meter rate adjustment program.
A summary of Cameron’s notable projects:
• City of Portland (OR) Downtown Meter District Parking Study (2023)
• City of San Francisco (CA) Rapid LPR Tool (2022–23)
• City of Beverly Hills (CA) Rapid LPR Tool (2022–23)
• City of Pasadena (CA) Rapid LPR Tool (2022–23)
• City of Napa (CA) Citywide Parking Data Analysis (2021-23)
• City of Seal Beach (CA) Ongoing Parking Occupancy Evaluation (2021-23)
• Port of Seattle (WA) Shilshole Bay Marina Parking Study (2021-22)
• City of Costa Mesa (CA) Residential Parking Study (2020-22)
(425) 761-5067, cameron.clark@dixonresourcesunlimited.com
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Jennifer Liu – Associate
Jennifer Liu is an Associate at DIXON, with a Bachelor of Business
Administration and Communication Studies joint major degree from
Simon Fraser University, Canada. She also holds a certificate from UC
Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design after completing the
Summer Institute in City Planning.
Jennifer’s background is in the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment
(EVSE) industry, where she led global product marketing and
program management initiatives for commercial, residential, and
public charging solutions. Jennifer’s skillset is directly translatable to parking
consulting, and since joining DIXON, she now supports parking programs across the
country with market research, stakeholder engagement, municipal code reviews, and
strategic planning.
For the Town of Los Gatos, Jennifer worked with staff to refresh their parking roadmap,
perform financial modeling, and develop a comprehensive staffing plan. These efforts
supported a request to the Town Council for additional funding and direction, which
then enabled the Town to hire a dedicated parking staff member and make
improvements to their parking program. Jennfier has also supported cities like
Modesto (CA) and Napa (CA) with similar services, focusing in the areas of community
engagement, policy and code reviews, and program planning initiatives.
Jennifer’s unique background combining communications, project management, and
urban planning provides great benefits to DIXON’s clients, especially those in the
implementation phases of their projects. Jennifer has supported large-scale programs
and initiatives, including working closely with the City of Beverly Hills’ Public Works
Department and the City’s vendor to coordinate technology upgrades in 17 City
parking garages. Additionally, Jennifer managed the City’s parking operator
solicitation process, which involved extensive stakeholder management, contract
negotiation, and a deep technical understanding of the technologies involved.
A summary of Jennifer’s notable projects:
• Town of Los Gatos (CA) Parking Roadmap Update (2023)
• City of Santa Ana (CA) Citywide Parking Study (2023)
• Isla Vista Community Services District (CA) Parking Consultant Services (2023)
• City of Paso Robles (CA) Implementation Support Services (2023)
• City of Ketchum (ID) Parking Consulting Services (2023)
• City of Modesto (CA) Parking Infrastructure Implementation Plan (2022-23)
• City of Napa (CA) Implementation Support Services (2022-23)
• City of San Leandro (CA) Parking Management Consulting Services (2022-23)
• City of Beverly Hills (CA) Off-Street Parking Projects & RFP Management (2022-23)
(628) 280-9291, jennifer.liu@dixonresourcesunlimited.com
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Alexis Appel – Junior Associate
Alexis Appel is a Junior Associate at DIXON with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Urban Studies and Planning from the University of
California, San Diego. With an educational emphasis on
Sustainability and Resilience, she takes a comprehensive approach
to projects that considers both environmental and human impacts.
Alexis previously worked in the stormwater management industry
and assisted in the research and writing of Storm Water Pollution
Prevention Plans for new and existing developments. Since joining
the DIXON team, she has contributed to various projects, including researching
alternative parking methods, conducting stakeholder outreach for community
engagement, working with municipalities to enhance residential parking, and
engaging with the California Coastal Commission to improve beach parking
accessibility.
For the City of Seal Beach, Alexis is responsible for researching and supporting the City
in preparing to submit a Coastal Development Permit application to the California
Coastal Commission. She was responsible for the review and compilation of historical
documents to convey the City’s extensive parking history, as well as preparing a
comparable cities analysis highlighting opportunities for the City to adjust parking
rates and fees while maximizing accessibility and equity. Alexis is currently assisting
both the cities of Seal Beach and Monterey in applying for Local Coastal Program
certification, which will help both cities streamline the process of new development
applications within their respective coastal zones. Alexis approaches projects involving
the California Coastal Commission through the lens of equity and inclusion and values
the opportunity to improve coastal access for visitors of all socio-economic
backgrounds.
Alexis’ distinctive background in urban planning has been a key element in serving
DIXON clients in various ways. For the City of Santa Ana, Alexis is managing
stakeholder outreach, which has included attendance at community events and town
hall meetings, as well as identifying creative solutions such as parking lift
implementation. Alexis has also completed comparable analyses for the City of
Sausalito, San Diego State University, and the City of Seal Beach in order to identify the
ways in which each project can enhance their unique parking programs.
A summary of Alexis’ notable projects:
• City of Seal Beach (CA) Parking Management Support Services (2022-23)
• City of Monterey (CA) Coastal Zone Parking Operation Study (2022-23)
• City of Norwalk (CA) One-Ways Neighborhood Support Services (2023-24)
• City of Santa Ana (CA) Citywide Parking Study (2023-24)
• Isla Vista Community Services District (CA) Parking Study (2021-23)
• City of Sausalito (CA) Downtown Parking Study (2023)
(951) 553-0129, alexis@dixonresourcesunlimited.com
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Section 6. Project Timeline
Proposed Schedule (Revised)
The following timeline describes the estimated time required to complete each task,
including the additional community meetings and extended implementation, and an
approximate date for the completion of each milestone deliverable:
Task
Project Kickoff Meeting
Bi-Weekly Meetings
Background Document Review
On-site Assessment
Outline Initial Results / Recommendations
Review Existing Muni Code / Preliminary Redlines
Prepare Menu of Comparable Codes / City Review
Parking Utilization Pilot Setup
Parking Inventory Collection
Data Collection and Analysis
Develop Data Report / Map
Develop Public Engagement Plan
Stakeholder Meetings: Phase 1
Public Input Survey
Stakeholder Meetings: Phase 2
Finalize Muni Code Recommendations
Stakeholder Meetings: Phase 3
Prepare Draft RPP Recommendations/PAP
City Review of Draft RPP Recommendations/PAP
Subcommittee Meetings / Presentations
Revise Final RPP Recommendations/PAP
Council Presentation & Adoption
Jun-24 Jul-24 Aug-24 Sep-24Jan-24 Feb-24 Mar-24 Apr-24 May-24
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Section 7. Budget and Pricing
This cost proposal is based on a Time & Materials (T&M) approach. We are adaptive to
the City’s needs and will customize our solution to focus on what the City needs to
achieve its objectives and to ensure that all deliverables are completed within the
agreed-upon budget and timing to suit the City’s evolving priorities.
The following table provides the hourly rates for all DIXON classification groups, which
are based upon GSA standards and will be billed per City requirements.
Hourly Rates
Classification Labor Rate Per Hour
Principal Consultant $245
Principal Planner $225
Senior Associate $175
Associate / Data Analyst $155
Junior Associate $115
Data Collector $65
Cost Estimate (Revised)
The revised total estimated not to exceed costs per Task are detailed below:
Cost Estimate: DIXON Time & Materials Fee
Task Description Estimated
Cost (NTE)
1
Project Management (Revised)
• Virtual project kickoff and bi-weekly calls
• Extended project management and coordination (assumes
three (3) additional months)
$9,340
2
Operational Needs Assessment
• Review project-relevant background materials.
• On-site assessment, including meetings with City staff
• Comparable cities analysis of up to three (3) cities
$15,305
3
Parking Utilization Pilot
• Confirm the project Study Area and collect available parking
inventory
• Collect parking utilization data within the Study Area on two
(2) days, including one (1) weekday and one (1) weekend
day, with four (4) data collection times per day
• Includes analysis and visualization of data collected within
the Study Area in the Rapid LPR Tool
• Prepare a Data Report consisting of static maps with GIS
layers corresponding to parking inventory and utilization
information
$27,780
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4
Stakeholder Engagement and Public Input (Revised
• Develop a Public Engagement Plan
• Coordinate several stakeholder meetings:
o Phase 1: Six (6) stakeholder meetings, including
three (3) in-person meetings, three (3) virtual
meetings, and one (1) Council meeting
o Phase 2: Four (4) stakeholder meetings, including
two (2) in-person meetings, two (2) virtual
meetings, and one (1) Council meeting
o Phase 3: Four (4) stakeholder meetings, including
two (2) in-person meetings and two (2) virtual
meetings, and one (1) Council meeting
• Facilitate a bilingual, online public input survey
$45,640
5
Parking Action Plan
• Review and revise municipal code language
• Prepare and circulate a draft Plan to City staff
• Attend and present at two (2) subcommittee meetings,
including one (1) in-person and one (1) remote.
• Incorporate feedback into a final Parking Action Plan
• Present the final Plan at one (1) in-person City Council
meeting for final review and adoption
$29,875
Total Cost $127,940
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Section 8. References
California, Costa Mesa
• Residential Parking Study, Solicitation & Implementation
Support
• March 2020 – Present
• Project Lead: Julie Dixon
In the spring of 2020, DIXON was retained by the City of Costa Mesa to conduct a
comprehensive Citywide Residential Parking Study, which included data collection,
community outreach, and on-site assessments. After the resulting Residential Parking
Action Plan was adopted by Council, DIXON supported several parking technology
solicitations, a municipal code review, and the design and ongoing implementation of
a new citywide Residential Parking Permit (RPP) Program.
A priority goal of the Plan is to align the RPP Program with the 2016 California Attorney
General’s opinion (#14-304) and ensure equitable access to public on-street parking
and residential permits. The previous program did not fully address parking impacts
from multi-unit dwellings, commercial areas, and spillover effects of permitted streets
onto non-permitted ones. After rewriting the RPPP and procuring the required
technology, the City and DIXON are executing a phased, year-long rollout of the new
program. The unique program design and implementation strategy have earned it the
recognition as the California Mobility and Parking Association’s 2023 Public Parking
Program of the Year.
Some notable deliverables and services provided include:
• An in-depth Residential Parking Study including site visits, documentation review,
and stakeholder interviews.
• On-street data collection and analysis on parking impacts over 10,531 spaces.
• Community outreach and education to gather insights for the parking study and
throughout the implementation of the new RPP Program, including numerous
virtual community meetings and an online residential parking survey.
• Development of a Residential Parking Action Plan, which outlines the key
implementation steps needed to realign the residential parking strategy.
• Municipal code review to enable the implementation and enforcement of updated
residential parking policies.
• Solicitation support for a Permit Management System vendor and LPR technology.
• Transition support into a virtual permit system and enforcement by license plate.
• Implementation support for the new RPP Program rollout with vendor
communication and management, project management, program design, and
stakeholder engagement.
Jennifer Rosales, Transportation Services Manager, Public Services Department
77 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 754-5180, jennifer.rosales@costamesaca.gov
DIXON | San Rafael Residential Parking Permit Program Development Page 26 of 30
California, Tustin
• Citywide Permit Parking Program on Public Streets Project
• October 2019 – October 2023
• Project Lead: Julie Dixon
DIXON was retained by the City of Tustin (City) in October 2019 to conduct a citywide
residential parking study. The study included a review of existing conditions, current
parking policies, and community outreach which was used to develop a Residential
Parking Action Plan (Plan). The project paused in 2020 due to a shift in City priorities
during the pandemic and was eventually placed back on track in 2021. DIXON
completed additional stakeholder engagement and delivered the Plan, which City
Council adopted in 2023. This Plan has shaped the design of the new permit program,
which is targeted for launch in 2024.
A key goal of this project was to increase the accessibility and effectiveness of the City’s
residential parking policies, especially regarding permit parking. The final Plan
encouraged the City to expand permit eligibility by no longer differentiating between
single-family and multi-family dwellings for establishing new districts, in alignment with
the Attorney General’s opinion No. 14-304. The Plan also redefined the permit
application procedure and the petitioning process for new permit areas, while
introducing a rule limiting one permit per eligible resident as well as an escalating rate
structure. Additionally, the Plan recommended boosting compliance by increasing
enforcement staff and leveraging mobile license plate recognition for parking
enforcement and ongoing data collection.
Some notable deliverables and services provided include:
• On-site assessment that included in-person stakeholder meetings with Public
Works and the Police Department as well as a ride-along with enforcement staff.
• Comparable cities analysis to evaluate and highlight peer city permit programs.
• Extensive community outreach and stakeholder engagement, including:
o A residential parking survey which received 1,127 responses.
o Three community meetings (held virtually during the pandemic) to increase
awareness of the project, gather feedback, and share outcomes of the Plan.
• Evaluation of the parking permit program for accessibility and inclusivity, including
all program rules and processes.
• Recommendations for end-to-end permit parking program improvement,
including the definition of permit rates, enforcement staffing, technology, and
associated costs.
• Preparation for and execution of presentation(s) to City Council, including relevant
materials.
Krys Saldivar, Public Works Manager
300 Centennial Way, Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 573-3172, ksaldivar@tustinca.org
DIXON | San Rafael Residential Parking Permit Program Development Page 27 of 30
California, Santa Ana
• Citywide Parking Study Consulting Services
• September 2022 – Present
• Project Lead: Emily Kwatinetz
The City of Santa Ana (City) began engaging with DIXON in 2022 to conduct an
extensive review and analysis of its overall residential permit parking program strategy.
DIXON conducted two site visits and continues to facilitate stakeholder interviews to
learn about the realities of residential parking in the City and form customized
recommendations for Santa Ana. At this time, DIXON continues to perform parking
analyses and support data collection efforts while developing the Parking Action and
Implementation Plan requested by the City.
Santa Ana currently has an extensive permit parking program that offers permits with
four different sets of operating hours across 27 permit districts. The City is interested
in consolidating its permit program such that management and operation can be
simplified. Additionally, the City is looking to increase the effectiveness of the program,
minimize spillover effects, and increase inclusivity. With the support of DIXON’s prior
experience in improving residential permit parking programs, the City is making great
strides to developing data-backed decisions to make such improvements.
Some notable deliverables and services delivered and in progress include:
• Public Participation Plan outlining an extensive public outreach and stakeholder
engagement strategy.
• Coordination of up to 60 public meetings and 20 advisory committee meetings,
including the preparation of materials for each of these.
• Parking survey distributed online and in-person to solicit feedback from the public
on parking challenges and needs.
• Parking analysis of existing conditions that includes a review of relevant data,
processes, and operating methods; on-site operational assessments and
stakeholder interviews; ride-alongs to observe the current parking environment
and districts; and evaluations of technology, policy, staffing, and maintenance to
identify opportunities for improvement.
• Facilitation of ongoing data collection using a License Plate Recognition (LPR)
technology pilot, including the provision of data collection routes for each district
and the creation of parking space inventory for up to 1500 block faces.
• Occupancy and parking utilization analysis of LPR-collected data in the DIXON
Data Suite dashboard.
• Parking Action and Implementation Plan that incorporates a Citywide Permit
Parking Program to balance the parking needs of various user groups.
Cointa Anaya, Engineering Technician, Public Works Agency
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 647-5623, canaya@santa-ana.org
DIXON | San Rafael Residential Parking Permit Program Development Page 28 of 30
California, Seal Beach
• Parking Consulting & Ongoing Parking Project Management
• May 2017 – Present
• Project Lead: Julie Dixon
The City of Seal Beach hired DIXON in 2017 to provide ongoing consulting and project
management for the City’s parking program. Seal Beach staff recognized the need for
an overhaul of its parking operation, including community outreach, technology
refresh, and parking policy assessment, and lacked the dedicated parking
management staff to manage these projects. DIXON acts as the City’s interim Parking
Manager to manage the ongoing optimization of the parking program, including
technology, permit management, policy, and community engagement/education.
A key part of DIXON’s role is to facilitate the implementation of new technology. This
includes the development and management of several technology procurements and
pilot demonstrations over the years. With knowledge of the City’s needs and the
technical capabilities of vendors in the market, DIXON supported the City in achieving
a first-of-its-kind end-to-end integration of vendors, which gained the City Parking
Today’s 2019 “Innovative Use of Technology” Award.
Some notable deliverables and services provided include:
• Acting as the City’s Parking Manager, reporting to the Police Department.
• Ongoing community outreach and stakeholder engagement, including public
meetings, a community survey, and City Council meeting presentations.
• Optimization of the parking enforcement staffing, which enabled the closure of the
city jail and transitioned existing personnel to parking enforcement.
• Support the transition of parking management to the Police Department.
• Introduction and implementation of a virtual parking permit program.
• Installation of a turnkey license plate-based integrated parking management
system as part of a technology refresh.
• Ongoing data reporting and analysis leveraging LPR data through the DIXON Data
Suite to monitor occupancy trends, parking utilization, and turnover data.
• Development of data-driven parking policy strategies.
• Monthly reporting on enforcement performance and financials.
• Support for a California Coastal Development Permit application to update beach
parking lot rates and operating hours through comparable rates research,
expanded parking occupancy monitoring, and other supporting information.
• Signage enhancement plan for the City’s downtown and beachfront lots to simplify
wayfinding and lot regulations.
• Support for the Parking Ad Hoc Committee on whether to expand paid parking.
Nick Nicholas, Captain, Seal Beach Police Department
911 Seal Beach Blvd, Seal Beach, CA 90740
(562) 799-4100 x1160, nnicholas@sealbeachca.gov
DIXON | San Rafael Residential Parking Permit Program Development Page 29 of 30
California, Napa
• Parking Management Services & Implementation Support
• October 2015 – Present
• Project Lead: Emily Kwatinetz
DIXON has a strong history working with the City of Napa through various parking
consultant support services. In 2015, the City selected DIXON through a competitive
solicitation process for support in the consideration of implementing paid parking,
including the coordination of stakeholder outreach and the solicitation of a parking
technology pilot. The scope was expanded in 2016 to address both on-street and
garage parking technology, and again in 2018 to develop a Comprehensive Strategies
Report (CSR) to optimize the City’s parking operation.
The City of Napa’s community parking needs are evolving with increasing
development in Downtown Napa and the Oxbow District. At peak times, parking
concentrates along main corridors, leaving outlying parking garages underutilized.
There also exists an employee parking problem, while minimal staffing and technology
resources have led to inconsistent enforcement of existing time limits. DIXON
continues to support the City of Napa as it reviews and implements recommended
parking program improvements and develops data-driven parking management
policy enhancements.
Some notable deliverables and services provided include:
• Extensive stakeholder outreach, parking surveys, and community meetings.
• Solicitation support for a competitive parking technology pilot.
• Comprehensive strategies for parking technology, including electronic wayfinding,
parking guidance systems, and license plate recognition (LPR) technology.
• Financial modeling to support the City with revenue forecasts and projections that
included hardware costs and technology expenses.
• Development of a Comprehensive Strategies Report on wayfinding and parking
guidance, enforcement technology, parking program management, special event
management, permit parking, accessibility, safety, and mobility. Successful
transition of the parking enforcement program to the Community Development
Department, along with the establishment of performance metrics to achieve the
goals of increased turnover and consistent parking compliance.
• On-street parking occupancy and turnover analysis through DIXON’s proprietary
analytical tool, the Rapid LPR Tool, which leverages data gathered through the city’s
LPR technology.
• Administrative reports, including an employee permit parking plan and
enforcement staffing recommendations.
Tony Valadez, Parking Program Manager
955 School St, Napa, CA 94559
(707) 257-9272, tvaladez@cityofnapa.org
DIXON | San Rafael Residential Parking Permit Program Development Page 30 of 30
California, Sausalito
• Parking Operations Support & On-Call Parking Consulting
• July 2014 – Present
• Project Lead: Julie Dixon
In July 2014, the City retained DIXON to provide an initial assessment of the Sausalito
parking technology solution followed by the development of a Request for Information
to solicit alternative parking technology solutions for the City. The City of Sausalito is a
very popular California tourist destination right across the Golden Gate Bridge from
San Francisco. Parking availability and traffic congestion are impacted throughout the
City’s downtown and residential parking areas. The City quickly recognized DIXON’s
expertise as a direct benefit to their parking program, and DIXON was engaged to
begin work with key City staff to prioritize project objectives, tasks and goals.
One of DIXON specialties is a comprehensive understanding of available vendor
solutions. With that, DIXON was able to immediately begin vendor outreach,
coordinate vendor site visits, and in early Fall 2014, DIXON drafted and issued a
Request for Information (RFI) on behalf of the City which resulted in a head-to-head
evaluation of parking pay station technology in the heart of Downtown Sausalito. The
technology pilot concluded at the end of March 2015 and resulted in a City-wide
infrastructure replacement, along with the expansion of services for their Citation
Management System, including enforcement handheld upgrades. Beginning in
January 2023, the City retained DIXON to provide ongoing oversight and on-call
parking management support for the City’s parking programs, to provide relief for the
departure of the City’s Parking Manager.
Some notable deliverables and services provided include:
• On-site stakeholder visits and a thorough field walkthrough included going to each
parking asset to develop a list of priorities that influenced overall project goals.
• The competitive technology pilot involved five off-street pay station solutions and
two on-street meter providers, stakeholder/community feedback, vendor
performance monitoring, weekly status reports, and City Council presentations.
• The City experiences serious seasonal impacts due to tourism and it’s geography
and waterfront location, adjacent to the San Francisco Bay, presents unique
technology challenges that were identified during the vendor technology demos.
• DIXON completed a high-level Parking Study in October 2023 that evaluated each
facet of the City’s parking operations, including recommendations on RPP policy
development, paid parking expansion, contracted services, and use of technology.
• The City is currently in the process of finalizing a transition away from in-house
permit processing to an integrated Permit and Citation Management Provider.
Stacie Gregory, Acting Chief of Police, Sausalito Police Department
29 Caledonia Street, Sausalito, CA 94965
(415) 289-4188, sgregory@sausalito.gov