December 6, 2005
Members Present: Lori Bernard, Paul Bixby, Donna Daniels, Gerald Golden, Jay Huneycutt, David Martinson, Bill Mock, Gary Smith, Susan Stiers and Julie Trivitt. Also attending was Elaine Quinn, acting secretary.
No action was taken on the previous meeting’s minutes. They will be emailed for approval.
Report on Current Parking Status - Gary Smith
1. The Board of Trustees will not support remote parking for freshman residing on campus so the plan is to locate some park and ride lots a short distance from campus that commuter students and employees can use. We also need to have a rate structure that will make it work.
2. Harmon Avenue Parking Facility meter rate: The rate will be reduced to a $1 an hour. There are also plans to link the proximity card to a credit card and use a proximity card as a debit card with appropriate and encouraging rate structures. McGann and Blackboard are still working on getting Razorbucks operational for Harmon.
3. Work is progressing on having internet sales up and going before the end of the spring semester. When paying for a permit, we plan for the receipt to be used as a parking permit for a week until the actual permit is received in the mail.
4. Outdoor track expansion: Construction is scheduled to begin on February 1. Over the holidays the water and sewer lines work will be done and probably some grading done right before construction begins. The north and south end zones will be closed in and bleachers and sky boxes will be added to the east side. It will be completed by the middle of May.
5. The Executive Committee has approved a new position for transit. It is the Associate Director for Transit and is an unclassified position.
6. Lot 41A will close right after commencement. We are trying to locate more parking for the residents. Jay has been working on a plan to expand lot 37. His plan will gain us about 80 extra parking spaces.
7. The Transit and Parking Operations Guide has been finalized and is ready for publication. It will have parking information including colored pictures of parking signs. It will also be small enough to be carried in a purse, pocket or backpack. Work is also in progress on a visitor’s guide. It is directed more at those on campus make parking arrangements for visitors. The orientation video is also being revised.
8. The tow storage lot started being used on October 1. Now cars towed on campus during the day are taken to our lot which makes it more customer-friendly. The tow lot is a short walk from the Transit and Parking Department.
Old Business
Faculty/Staff Parking Issues: Work is progressing on trying to let faculty and staff buy just a nine month, semester or summer permit. HAPF has so many empty spaces plus construction in the area makes walking toward campus buildings difficult. Debbie Wood is working with Dave Wimberly on the twelve-month payroll deductions in Basis. He’s saying it will need to be done on the fiscal year so the permit expiration date will need to change to coincide. Hopefully by spring the on-line registration will be ready for some testing and then ready to go before the semester ends.
New Business
1. Generating Revenue: Julie Trivitt came up with three suggestions to help generate more revenue. One was the possibility of having a tailgate party on the top level of Harmon. A group in the fall had already inquired about using level 9 for a party. It was decided that it would be too much of a liability factor so the request was denied. Julie’s second idea was to have a special winter permit for Harmon, which would cover the worst weather part of the year and would generate money immediately. Gary said we had been working on having just a semester or summer Harmon Avenue Parking Facility permit and we would try to implement this request immediately. Julie’s final suggestion was to ask the apartment owners that are served by Razorback Transit to bid on stops. In 1997 the Task Force asked owners for financial help but only those owners from out of state were willing to give any.
2. Off-road vehicles on campus: Several university departments now have them and we need to be thinking about where they can be driven and parked on campus. Facilities Management, Mailing Services and Computing Services have several Daihatsu’s and the Center for Students with Disabilities has golf carts. Housing just received some golf carts. Arkansas law states anything driven on roads must have turn signals and brake lights. State vehicles all have signs so this type of vehicle should also have identification. It was suggested that we check with other campuses to see how they handle such vehicles.
3. Permit fees and violation administrative charges: Gary handed out a listing of current permit fees and what they would be if the usual 5% increase was added for each. There was no suggestion to increase the violation charges. Meter rates are not considered fees and do not have to be approved by the Board of Trustees.
The meeting was adjourned.