TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THRU: Jarad Hildenbrand, City Manager
FROM: Christopher Cash, Public Works Director
1. Subject
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Introduction and First Reading of Ordinance No. 11-26 amending Chapter 10.40 of the Orange Municipal Code pertaining to parking meter zones
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2. Summary
Ordinance No. 11-26 is an update to Ordinance No. 02-25, which established the parameters of the paid parking program in Old Towne. The update in Ordinance No.11-26 authorizes the Public Works Director to adjust paid on-street and parking lot parking time limits up to a four-hour maximum, providing greater flexibility to respond quickly to program needs.
3. Recommended Action
recommendation
Introduce and conduct First Reading of Ordinance No. 11-26. An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Orange amending Chapter 10.40 of the Orange Municipal Code pertaining to parking meter zones.
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4. Fiscal Impact
None
5. Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 5: Improve Infrastructure, Mobility, and Technology
6. Discussion and Background
The paid parking program was approved by the Orange City Council on January 28, 2025 and began in the City on February 9, 2026. Since the implementation of the program, staff have closely monitored the program and received feedback as people interact with the program. The proposed ordinance revision is intended to improve the effectiveness, flexibility, and user-friendliness of the City’s existing paid parking program. As the City continues to balance parking availability, customer turnover, and the operational needs of local businesses, staff have identified policy adjustments that will enhance program performance.
The revised ordinance provides the Public Works Director with the administrative authority to adjust posted paid-parking time limits within the paid parking area up to a four-hour maximum. The four-hour limit is based on both survey and verbal feedback from community stakeholders, including downtown merchants. This maximum limit is also within the recommendation for time limits presented in the parking technology implementation plan from Dixon Resources Unlimited. In addition to giving flexibility for visitors to add more time to park in the Old Towne area, the four-hour maximum retains the intention of the program, which is to create customer turnover in the Old Towne Commercial Core areas and encourage longer term parkers to utilize the free City lots and the parking structure. As parking conditions evolve due to demand, business feedback, neighborhood characteristics, or other factors, the ability to adjust posted time limits will enable the program to respond more dynamically. Additionally, the increased flexibility will help the City manage the parking program more effectively without requiring an ordinance revision each time fine-tuning of the program is needed.
These changes do not alter established parking rates but allow the program to operate in a more adaptable and customer-oriented manner. Staff believe the revisions will improve the user experience and enhance operational efficiency.
7. ATTACHMENTS
• Ordinance No. 11-26
• Ordinance No. 11-26 Redline