Sustainability fee on parking turned down again

By Grace Lovins

A proposed 10 cent sustainability fee on parking transactions in Birmingham was again set aside by the city commission during the Monday, July 27, meeting, after commissioners remained divided over whether the proposal meant residents were being overburdened with offsetting carbon emissions.

Commissioners previously discussed the proposed 10 cent sustainability fee on parking during the Monday, July 13, meeting, during which they directed city staff to return with a list of anticipated projects the funds may be used for along with defined metrics and goals.

Planning director Nick Dupuis presented a draft first-year program totaling $371,000, which included a $100,000 update to the city’s multimodal transportation plan, $4,000 for eight air-quality sensors, $100,000 toward fall tree planting on top of money for rain gardens along West Merrill and electric vehicle chargers at city hall.

Dupuis said the projects were estimated to reduce carbon dioxide equivalent by about 3,000 metric tons and capture roughly 17,000 gallons of rainwater per rain event.

As explained in the meeting packet, the fee is expected to generate approximately $420,000 annually and would apply to hourly meters, parking permits, parking structure transactions and valet parking. It would not be applied to two-hour free parking. The funds would remain separate from the city’s parking system funds and would be placed in accounts overseen by the treasury and finance departments.

Commissioners Therese Longe, Kevin Kozlowski and mayor Clinton Baller remained in support of the fee, noting it was a good first step in providing initial funding for environmental projects. They also pointed out that the fee would ensure the burden is equitable since it would be applied to all drivers rather than money being allocated from the general fund for these sustainability projects.

The other three commissioners still voiced opposition, Bill Kolb saying the fee was a burden on residents and Andrew Haig saying the proposal was incomplete.

Haig requested a broader five-year plan showing how the fee would fit into the city’s overall approach to sustainability along with an economic sustainability forecast. Baller proposed Haig meet with city staff to hammer out a plan that he would support in order to get a fourth vote in support of implementing the fee.

In the end, no formal action was taken by the commission. Haig is expected to meet with Dupuis and Ecker on the item to work out a proposal he would support.