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Parking Commission

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1. What is the Parking Commission?

The La Mesa Community Parking Commission is an advisory board to the City Council. The Commission was created by Ordinance No. 2004-2737 adopted by the City Council on July 13, 2004. The purpose of the Commission is to ensure cost effective parking which meets the needs of the businesses, residents, and patrons by involving the community in parking management decisions. The Parking Commission can make recommendations to the City Council on matters related to parking management and operations, parking rates, expenditures on parking equipment, and capital improvements within the Downtown Village Parking District.

2. Who sits on the Parking Commission?

The Parking Commission consists of a five-person citizen advisory board, consisting of one retail merchant, one commercial business member, one resident, and two members at large. When seats on the Commission become available, the Mayor appoints Commissioners, with approval by Council, from a pool of applicants to serve 4-year terms. The current Commissioner roster is available online. Parking Commission Roster

3. When and where does the Parking Commission hold its regular monthly meetings?

The Parking Commission meets on the third (3rd) Tuesday of every month at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, located at City Hall at 8130 Allison Ave., La Mesa, CA 91942. The meetings are open to the public and attendees can speak on any matter on the agenda or address the Commission during the portion of the agenda dedicated to public comments.

4. Where can I find agendas and/or meeting minutes for Parking Commission meetings?

Agendas for upcoming and/or previously held meetings, as well as meeting minutes can be accessed at the City’s website in the online document archive center . Scroll down the archive page until you find the listings for the La Mesa Community Parking Commission. Archive Center

5. How can I communicate with the Commission or report a parking concern?

Anyone can communicate with the Commission by attending the Commission’s regular monthly meeting and making a public comment or addressing the Commission on any matter on the agenda. Comments, concerns, or suggestions can also be relayed to the Commission through City staff by writing to the Commission care of Lyn Dedmon, Assistant to the City Manager, at 8130 Allison Ave., La Mesa, CA 91942.

6. When are parking meters enforced?

Parking meters are enforced Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m., excepting certain holidays (see #10 below).

7. How do I pay the parking meter?

The vast majority of the parking meters in the Parking District are coin-only meters, accepting nickels, dimes, and quarters. The 102 parking meters on La Mesa Boulevard, from 4th Street to Acacia Avenue, accept both coins and credit/debit cards (there is no additional fee to the consumer for using a credit/debit card to pay the meter), or a combination of coins and credit/debit card.

8. How much time can I purchase at a parking meter and what does it cost?

In most locations, the maximum parking time is two hours at a cost of $0.75/hr. If you need more than two hours time there are several locations in the Parking District that allow 4-hour parking, including 1) the Allison Avenue municipal parking lot ($0.50/hr, 4-hour max.), 2) Allison Avenue, from Spring St. to 4th Street ($0.50/hr, 4-hour max.), 3) Lemon Avenue, from Spring St. to 4th Street ($0.75/hr., 4-hour max).

Each meter is clearly marked with a sticker indicating maximum time limits and days of operation. Please observe the posted time limitations, as remaining parked past time limit and/or “feeding the meter” can result in issuance of a parking citation.

9. What if the parking meter is not functioning properly?

If you believe the parking meter has malfunctioned, please contact the Parking Control office at (619) 667-1482 and report the problem. Stickers on each parking meter identify the location of the meter pole and meter (e.g., pole 50, meter ‘A’), as well as phone contact information.

10. Are parking meters enforced on holidays?

Parking meters are not enforced on the following holidays: January 1st; the third Monday in January, known as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; the third Monday in February, known as Presidents Day; March 31st known as Cesar Chavez Day; Good Friday from 12 noon until 3 p.m., the last Monday in May, known as Memorial Day; July 4th; the first Monday in September, known as Labor Day; November 11th known as Veterans Day; the fourth Thursday in November, known as Thanksgiving Day, and December 25th, known as Christmas Day.

11. How do I pay a parking citation?

Parking citations must be paid within 21 days of issuance. For your convenience, La Mesa provides four easy ways to pay your citation: by mail, online, by phone, or in person here at City Hall. Details on each payment method, including payment website address, contact numbers and mailing addresses are available on the City's website.

12. How do I protest or dispute a parking citation?

There are several ways to request an administrative review of a parking citation. You can visit http://www.paymycite.com/lamesa and select the "Contest Citation" option and make your case by filling in the online form. Alternatively, you can visit the La Mesa Police Department, located at 8085 University Avenue, La Mesa, CA 91942, and fill out a Citation Contest form. Regardless of which method you choose, the La Mesa Police Department will review the form and make a determination at a later date. You will be notified of the outcome by a letter from the Parking Citation Processing Center. Contact the Parking Citation Processing Center at 855.544.9373 for additional information. PayMyCite website.

13. What happens if I don’t pay a parking citation within 21 days?

Failure to pay a parking citation within 21 days could result in the original penalty being doubled and the placement of a $10 Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) hold, and the forwarding of the citation penalty due being forwarded to the DMV. The DMV will refuse to register or re-register the vehicle cited until all citations are paid in full or dismissed.

14. What is the Parking Permit Program?

The Parking Permit Program (PPP) provides downtown Village business owners and their employees with access to all-day parking in six designated areas throughout the Parking District at a substantially lower cost than standard parking meter rates. Users participating in the PPP will receive a hang-tag placard and a quarterly parking sticker that must be displayed when parking in a permit parking area.

15. How much does a Parking Permit cost and what are the benefits?

There are two quarterly parking permit programs. One for the area east of Spring Street, called the East-End Program, and another for the area west of Spring Street, called the La Mesa Boulevard Lot Program.

The East-End Program offers either a $40 permit that provides access to approximately 125 parking spaces, or a $60 permit that provides access to 229 spaces in five different parking areas.

The La Mesa Boulevard Lot Program offers access to 31 spaces in the municipal parking lot located on the south side of La Mesa Boulevard, just west of Acacia Avenue.

You can find permit applications, maps of parking areas, and a guide to permit parking policies and procedures on the City's website.

16. I participate in the Parking Permit Program. How do I renew my permits?

Permits are renewed on a quarterly basis (January, April, July, October) and permit holders must submit a new parking permit application to the City each quarter to renew their parking permits. The City sends out an email reminder to all permit holders who have provided an email address on their previous permit applications approximately two weeks in advance of the next quarterly renewal date. The email reminder will contain information on the date that the City will start selling new permits and/or renewing existing permits and will include links to permit applications and parking policies and procedures guidelines.

Permits can be applied for and paid for at La Mesa City Hall, located at 8130 Allison Avenue or applications and payments can be mailed to:

City of La Mesa
Downtown Operations/Parking Control
8130 Allison Avenue
La Mesa, CA 91942

Permit holders can check the City's website for updated information on sales and renewals at the Parking Permit Program page.

Please note that there is no grace period for expired permits after the start of a new quarter. If you have not yet received your placards and/or stickers by the start of the new quarter, please place your payment receipt on your dash until your placard/sticker arrives. Also, existing permits renewed after the first month of the quarter are not eligible for pro-rated fees.
Parking Permit Program page

17. I don’t participate in the Permit Program now but I’d like to. What do I do?

If you don’t currently have a parking permit, you can obtain one at any time by completing the application and submitting payment for the permits in person at La Mesa City Hall or by mail (see #16 above for address). Newly issued permits purchased after the first month of the quarter will be pro-rated.