AUTOMOBILE PARKING LOTS / MISUSE OF AUTO PARK PERMITS / HOLLYWOOD ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT

Motion - In recent years, the Hollywood Entertainment District has increasingly become a vibrant nighttime destination, with numerous theaters, nightclubs, restaurants and bars. More and more people continue to visit Hollywood at night, and many people arrive by private automobile, meaning the demand for parking is high. High parking demand with a finite supply of parking spaces has provided private parking lot operators and valet companies the opportunity to charge high prices for automobile storage services. As prescribed by the Los Angeles Municipal Code, an Auto Park permit is required to operate most automobile parking lots and valet services within the City. These permits are applied for through the Office of Finance and issued by the Board of Police Commissioners. Article 3, Division 8, Section 103.202 of Chapter X. Business Regulations of the LAMC stipulates the rules and regulations pertaining to automobile parking lots. Section 103.202(g) Signs - Closing Time - Parking Fees states that parking rates must be posted at the entrance to the lot; that if night parking fees will be higher than the daytime fees, then this rate shall also be posted at the entrance to the lot; and that each auto park permittee shall file with the Board of Police Commissioners a complete and accurate schedule of rates to be charged at the parking lot. Council District 13 believes that some parking lot operators and valet companies may be charging prices higher than their posted rates, or posting rates that are higher than the rates filed with the Board. Therefore, some visitors to the Hollywood Entertainment District may be over-charged for parking and then the City may not be receiving the correct amount of parking tax that it should be from certain operators. In addition, the current system for disciplinary action, and for revoking or suspending auto park permits, does not seem to be discouraging permittees from behaving improperly. THEREFORE MOVE that the Board of Police Commissioners, in consultation with the Office of Finance, the Los Angeles Police Department, the City Attorney's Office, and Council District 13, craft policy recommendations to improve the City's ability to enforce the rules and regulations concerning automobile parking lots and to discourage the misuse of auto park permits in the Hollywood Entertainment District and throughout the City.

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