Parking Advisory Board

Parking Department Conference Room

Agenda — 11 items

1. 1. CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL PAB began at 05:39 P.M. SUPPORT STAFF • Monica Beltran, Director of Parking, Sustainability & Mobility Services • John Kowalchik, Asst. Director of Parking Operations • Matthew Anderson, Asst. Director of Sustainability & Mobility • Carlos Gutierrez, Parking Admin & Enforcement Supervisor • Nicole Gautney, Sustainability Coordinator GUESTS: No Guests
2. 2. APPROVAL OF MARCH 18, 2026, MEETING MINUTES Approved on Consent Agenda Pass
3. 3. PUBLIC COMMENTS No public comments.
4. 4. MOBILITY & SUSTAINABILITY UPDATE a. Asst. Director Anderson reported on the Southern Loop trolley route launched November 3, operating Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Ridership increased from 1,500 passengers in February to over 1,600 in March, showing consistent ridership growth with month-over-month increases driven by rising gas prices and growing community interest. Freebee had over 7,000 passengers in March and 77,000 passengers rode the Ponce trolley route. There were 3,100 passengers on the Grand trolley route. b. On the Sustainability side, many events are taking place throughout Earth Month including the Plogging at Chapman cleanup on April 18, an Earth Day movie screening at the Art Cinema on April 22, the bi-annual Recycling Drive-Thru on April 25, and more. On April 6, the Spring Downtown Community Cleanup took place at the Chamber of Commerce and ended at Books & Books with 27 volunteers who removed 146 pounds of litter from the downtown area. c. On April 20, the city is unveiling the first ever Community Compost Drop-Off Program within the Gables at the Coral Gables Library. Two 45-gallon bins will be installed inside an exterior locked bin and will be serviced twice weekly by Renuable. The program was subsidized with $6,000 city funding to cover the membership costs for interested residents. Residents will be able to sign up via the QR code on the sign and throughout the KCGB website, the welcome emails from Renuable provide access to the drop-off bin, education, and a user portal. The ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Monday, April 20, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Coral Gables Library to kickoff Earth Week.
5. 5. MOBILITY HUB UPDATE a. Asst. Director Kowalchik updated the Board on Walker Consultants who will be assisting the city with the functional design of the Mobility Hub. The functional design has to do with the operations of the facility. The Mobility Hub will be a place where different forms of transportation connect, offering people an easier way of accessing different modes of public transport.
6. 6. EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY UPDATE a. Carlos Gutierrez updated the Board on the new license plate recognition system installed on enforcement’s Maverick hybrid truck to identify unpaid parking and scofflaw vehicles. The new system detects real-time payment status, including mobile apps and pay station payments, identifies vehicles with outstanding tickets or impound orders to prioritize enforcement, enables concentrated enforcement in high-violation areas to improve compliance and resource use. b. Director Beltran notified the Board that on Miracle Mile, a survey was done showing that 30 percent of vehicles parked had disabled placards. This notes that handicap parking abuse is a significant issue within the city. Visitors, Miracle Mile employees, and contractors may often misuse placards to avoid fees impacting legitimate users. Enforcement personnel actively identify fraudulent placards, including fake stickers and expired permits. The citations and public education by the enforcement team focuses on reducing invalid placards to open parking spaces for those who need it. Enforcement has begun timing vehicles and requiring the owner of the placard to be present when parking. c. Virtual permits and integration with payment apps will enhance monitoring of residential and time-limited parking. The virtual permit system will upload plate lists to management software so enforcement can track how long a car is in a parking space. Pay-by-Phone now limits parking extensions beyond the newly allowed time (e.g., three hours) to increase parking space turnover. New valet services are planned on Miracle Mile's 300 south block to improve parking efficiency.
7. 7. GARAGE MAINTENANCE & PRESSURE WASHING CONTRACT UPDATE a. Asst. Director Kowalchik updated the Board on the new interior pressure washing contract beginning with four parking garages with a professional vendor starting work the night of this meeting. The contract covers interior cleaning including stairwells, with two levels cleaned per day. Prices range from $5,500 to $13,000 per facility interior, secured through competitive bidding. The five-year contract locks in prices and ensures biannual cleaning for all garages. An exterior cleaning contract is in the final insurance vetting and is expected to start within the next month.
8. 8. COMMISSION ITEMS a. Director Beltran updated the Board on an item she presented during the April 14 Commission Meeting regarding Low-Speed Vehicles (LSV), which are similar to golf carts but do not have license plates. LSVs are restricted to roads with speed limits of 25 mph or lower, mostly residential zones. The city will require permits for LSVs with a unique tag number for enforcement and payment purposes. Pay-by-Phone and ParkMobile apps will accept LSV payments, and citations will be issued for non-payment. This program addresses emerging vehicle types to ensure fair parking regulation and revenue protection.
9. 9. OPEN DISCUSSION a. Board Member Famadas inquired about the striping of Valencia on 500 or 600 blocks being incomplete, especially in commercial areas. She had some concerns about non-delineated spaces and how people use them inefficiently. Director Beltran explained that many people prefer the non-delineated spaces as they maximize capacity. The city continues to monitor and coordinate with Public Works to complete striping and signage throughout the Gables. Board Member Famadas also brought up adding a crosswalk to St. Philips crossing Coral Way. b. Board Member Valdes asked about the blockade of cars on Salzedo every Saturday. Mr. Gutierrez informed him that there is a food bank every Saturday morning. This would be a Police issue as it would be considered a moving violation, or police can be there to help direct traffic. Mr. Valdes wanted to know the protocol for abandoned vehicles on the side of the road as well. Mr. Gutierrez informed him that 24 hours are given before being cited. Vehicles suspected of being abandoned are checked for registration, theft status, and resident ownership. Officers conduct door knocks and issue citations; the vehicle will be towed only after sufficient investigation from both Parking Enforcement and Police. c. Board Member Holian inquired about the Development Services vehicles that are seen throughout the city. Mr. Gutierrez informed her that these vehicles include Neighborhood Safety or Code Enforcement as well. They act as a liaison to the Police Department and Parking Enforcement if there is someone parking illegally.
10. 10 ADJOURNMENT The PAB adjourned at 6:55 P.M. Next Meeting – May 20, 2026 City of Coral Gables Parking Dept. 254 Minorca Ave, Suite 204, Coral Gables, FL 33134, 305-460-5540
11. 11 NOTE