This morning, Presidents Day, my husband, son, and I went to Starbucks on Locust Street in downtown Walnut Creek. We arrived shortly before 9 a.m. and parked right out front, in two metered spots (I was going to leave separately to go do some errands).
It didn’t occur to us to feed coins into the meter, even to my husband who is usually very careful about such matters. This was a holiday, right? A national, U.S. government-designated holiday.
We came out after 9 a.m., and all the cars lining Locust Street, and parked in metered spots, had tickets on their windshields. So, did we, and these tickets would cost us $35 each. I quickly glanced at the meter, at the top, windowed area where the little red “expired” flag pops up. (This is the meter, pictured above.)
In that area, in black letters, it read that the meters are in operation daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Sundays and holidays.
I pulled away and saw the parking enforcement officer up the street. He was getting back into his cart after placing yet another ticket on another car’s windshield. I rolled down my window and asked, “What’s going on? Why are you handing out tickets? It’s a federal holiday.”He said something about how it’s “not a city holiday.”
Huh?
I went home, called the City of Walnut Creek offices, and heard that the city offices were closed “in observance of the holiday.” I called the Police Department non-emergency number and asked to speak to the supervisor in charge of parking. The clerk told me that the supervisor was not in the office today.
“Because it’s a city holiday?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I asked why, if it’s a city holiday, the city had its parking enforcement officers out, writing tickets. The clerk informed me that, in fact, the city designates six holidays per year as worthy of being “meter holidays.” Six holidays per year, unlike, for example, the U.S. government which in 2009 will observe 10 holidays.
The clerk added that the city-designated meter holidays are listed on each parking meter.
I missed that during my cursory glance at the meter. All I saw was “except Sundays and holidays,” which to me seems pretty open to interpretation.
But, being the Crazy gal that I am, I couldn’t let this one go. I had to know if I missed something, so I headed back downtown and returned to the scene of my crime: the meter on Locust Street in front of the Container Store.
After looking around the meter, I could see that, yes, it has a sign on its side that lists the city’s designated meter holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.
So, legally, it appears, we’re screwed, my husband and I. We will have to pay those $35 tickets. So will all the other people who mistakenly assumed that a national holiday like Presidents Day would apply to metered street parking in Walnut Creek.
But wait. For my part, and for all those others who who received tickets in downtown Walnut Creek today, I have to say that the sign listing the city’s six metered holidays reads a bit like the proverbial fine print in a contract. A quick glance at the meter, which is what I think many motorists would give it, would lead you to think you’re in the clear on Presidents Day.
It also strikes me that the city’s meter signage and its own staff holiday policies present unclear and inconsistent messages. The two different signs on the meters themselves offer two different interpretations of when you do and don’t have to feed coins into the meter. Meanwhile, the City of Walnut Creek decided that Presidents Day was significant enough to close its offices–and to give the city’s parking supervisor the day off. So, shouldn’t it give us citizens a holiday–a parking holiday–as well? It seems that the city’s parking meter policies should align with its own policies regarding staff holidays.
(By the way, I will e-mail a copy of this post to the city’s parking department. It would be interesting to hear the supervisor’s response, if the supervisor even bothers to respond. I won’t expect a reply today–because the supervisor is on holiday!)
The backdrop to all this is that the city is in serious financial trouble. The budget numbers for 2008-10 are pretty grim. The city is facing a $3.4 million deficit this fiscal year, and a $5.2 million gap for 2009-10.
It all has to do with a down economy, a drop in revenues from sales tax due to slow retail sales, and a steep drop in tax revenues from auto sales.
Another culprit in Walnut Creek’s woes? A decline in parking-related revenues.
From the city’s Progress Report on the 2008-10 Operating Budget: “Parking meter revenue is projected to be approximately $11,000 below what was estimated for the budget 2008-09 and 2009-19. … Further, the amount of revenue received from parking fines [like the $70 my husband and I will be soon paying] is lower than projected. Due to the downturn in the economy, fewer visitors to downtown (as indicated by the drop in sales tax), and a decline in the collection rate experienced for fines, most of the anticipated aggregate parking system increase has not been realized.”
The city estimates a parking-related revenue decrease of $844,000 for 2008-09 and $844,000 for 2009-10.
The city certainly helped lessen that pain a bit on President’s Day with the tickets it handed out to my husband, me, and other motorists. And, with the city’s budget challenges, I can see why the city’s usually aggressive parking enforcement department was even more motivated to get out today and ticket people.
After revisiting the scene of my crime, I took a short cruise down Locust Street. It looked like about half of those parked had made the same assumption that my husband and I had made. A reasonable assumption, I continue to argue. I could see those little red flags on the meters where these cars and SUVs were parked.
I could also see the parking enforcement officer in his cart, with its blinking yellow lights, cruising up and down the street, just waiting to pounce.
Crazy in Suburbia 
How about “7 on your side” ? I’m sure they would eat up a story like this. I tend to agree with the previous poster, in such an economic downturn you would think they would be putting up signs that say, “Free parking for all shoppers” instead of passing out tickets like candy on Halloween!
LikeLike
Soccer Dad is just going to pay his ticket. But he’s saying go, go, go on my appealing the ticket. I have to print out a little appeal form, mail it in, and we’ll see what happens.
LikeLike
I wonder if the citing police officer was being paid overtime for working on a national holiday?
LikeLike
There is a double standard in Walnut Creek. Why aren’t meters fed or tickets issued to all of the out of town police cars and other official vehicles parked on the streets around the Ford dealer? These vehicles appear to be out of service and in possession of local repair shops that park these cars on the street for their convenience.If you extend it out, thousands of dollars have been lost over the years.I think these business’es need to pay up and why aren’t the parking patrol writing these vehicles tickets?
LikeLike
It wasn’t a police officer. It was a meter maid (or meter guy). No, he wasn’t being paid overtime.
LikeLike
Seriously, learn to read the meters. When you go to San Francisco and get a parking ticket on Sunday – are you going to whine too? Same with Monterey on holidays and LA in different parts of the city. What if you go out of state and get a ticket – is another whine going to erupt. Give me a break! Every city is different in how they manage parking enforcement. As a licensed driver (I’m assuming)you should know the importance of reading your meters. Plus, as a citizen of Walnut Creek you should know about all the free parking that is available to you throughout the city. So, next time you’re going for your Triple Mocha whatever at Starbucks – park in the free parking and take a little walk – it may just do you some good. And as far as the Community Service Officers (they are not “meter maids”) are concerened they are just doing their job. OH, I’m sorry you’re a soccer mom – you wouldn’t know what it was like to have a job anyway. Give them a break.
LikeLike
Yup – gotta hit the web and check the city website for parking holidays before you go. I always check for SF – you never can be sure. In SF meter maids were out enforcing, but there were far fewer of them – so most people had no problem and some had the same WTF moment that CiS is having.This is one of those lessons that you only have to learn once, and I’m surprised CiS hadn’t learned it until now 😛
LikeLike
I think that $35 is a reasonable amount to pay for parking in WC. A quarter for 15 minutes of parking is a steal!!!
LikeLike
I parked in front of Cheap Pete’s for one hour last week and fed my meter, the meter for the car next to me was expired. When I returned there was no ticket nor did I see a meter reader anywhere. I guess they were saving up for the frenzy to come on the non-holiday holiday.Iris
LikeLike
Seriously, get over it. It’s a parking ticket that you deserved for not double checking. Is this the first time any of you have seen a meter? There is something on both sides, the one facing the street and the one where you actually put your money. Not the City’s fault you didn’t read both. Do any of you know what the PSO’s actually have to check? Every single city owned meter, permit area, public garage, red zone, handicapped spot, private parking spot (when called by the DT business owners) yellow zone, white zone, city owned garage, other limited time areas and they have to go out and look for the abandoned vehicles that people call in. Oh, let’s not forget the abandoned vehicles they’ve already cited that now need to be towed. So, for the person who said they were probably “saving up” for President’s Day…get real.They don’t sit around and wait for somebody to walk away from an empty meter. That’s Regional Parking. You guys have no idea how hard they actually work. And another thing, the City didn’t all of a sudden raise their rates, they’ve been at $35 for quite some time.
LikeLike
I too received a parking ticket on the President’s Day. I read the “holidays” and obviously incorrectly assumed I was covered. My ticket was in front of Lakeshore Learning at 1:30p so the meter folks were definitely making the city rounds! Two compliants, one of which has already been echoed (the double standard of meter fees on a WC city offices ‘holiday’) and the second a new one. I’ve been struggling with the pay/contest issue and threw in the towel this morning and decided to pay the ticket. To add insult to injury, if you want to pay your ticket over the phone at the “pay by credit card” option, expect to pay an extra $2.95 fee on top of your ticket. Really? I don’t think so. I’m disappointed in the City that they have not responded to a resident with an issue. Poor PR WC. The City just lost my shopping dollars since there’s not a single thing I NEED from downtown.
LikeLike
I got a parking ticket in San Francisco today. $53! Same thing.. I thought today was a holiday for meters, too. Might “request a review” – contest it with a letter- but I don't have time for a court appearance if you have to do that. Apparently, there was a note in the Chronicle that meters would be enforced but I'm an east bay person and didn't read the Chron.
LikeLike
We got a notice in the mail from the City of Walnut Creek, via their parking enforcement contractor, that we owed $40 for illegally parking. That was September 14, 2011. We live in Sacramento. We have never been to Walnut Creek. When I explained this to Sandy Mulligan, she was skeptical (the tone implying'oh all you scoflaws are the same'). She said she had a photo of our auto. Well, the plate was correct, but the frame was different as was the color of the auto. Either someone is counterfeiting plates (a scam the Cal DMV has not heard of yet) or the City of Walnut Creek is is photoshopping plates in the hopes out of towners will pay rather than contesting. Wrong! We wrote a letter immediately contesting the fine. We followed up a month later and changed our plates at DMV. Finally Ms. Mulligan said their 'contractor' was still reviewing our 'appeal'. It is not an appeal. It is a denial of guit, and yes, we will contest in court with the most expensive lawyer we can find.
Ricardo Villanueva, Sacramento
LikeLike
We got a notice in the mail from the City of Walnut Creek, via their parking enforcement contractor, that we owed $40 for illegally parking. That was September 14, 2011. We live in Sacramento. We have never been to Walnut Creek. When I explained this to Sandy Mulligan, she was skeptical (the tone implying'oh all you scoflaws are the same'). She said she had a photo of our auto. Well, the plate was correct, but the frame was different as was the color of the auto. Either someone is counterfeiting plates (a scam the Cal DMV has not heard of yet) or the City of Walnut Creek is is photoshopping plates in the hopes out of towners will pay rather than contesting. Wrong! We wrote a letter immediately contesting the fine. We followed up a month later and changed our plates at DMV. Finally Ms. Mulligan said their 'contractor' was still reviewing our 'appeal'. It is not an appeal. It is a denial of guit, and yes, we will contest in court with the most expensive lawyer we can find.
Ricardo Villanueva, Sacramento
LikeLike
Considering appealing Parking ticket at Walnut Creek Library. I'm a volunteer at a nonprofit and attended a meeting at the library when I came out of the meeting I found a $45.00 ticket on my windshield. There are 36 libraries in Contra Costa with free parking, Martinez has meters on the street no lot parking, turns out Walnut Creek has some signs on some spaces – no sign at entrance no sign at library doors I parked in one of the many spaces with out a sign and saw no signs. I am physically handicap with walker but not wheelchair handy cap I contested ticket by submitted pictures showing Library lot entrance(no sign), parking spaces with out signs and entry doors(no sign) , e-mail announcing meeting and indication I was handicap. Response from city was pay fine of $45.00 no staff person or position indicated for giving notice .
I can appear before a person and submit my case However Walnut Creek contracts with “Duncan Solutions” it is their responsibility to collect Parking Fines Not provide Justice. I will follow forward with my case and report back with details.
Steve Kings Mt Diablo foothills
LikeLike