Parking Advisory Board

Parking Department Conference Room 254 Minorca Avenue, Suite 204

Agenda — 11 items

1. 1 Item 1. Roll Call & Call to Order Support Staff: Monica Beltran, Director of Parking, Sustainability & Mobility Services John Kowalchik, Asst. Director of Parking Operations Matthew Anderson, Asst. Director of Sustainability & Mobility Nicole Gautney, Sustainability Coordinator Guests: No Guests Call to Order – the PAB began at 05:36 P.M.
2. 2 Item 2. Approval of June 17, 2026, Meeting Minutes Approved on Consent Agenda
3. 3. PUBLIC COMMENTS
4. 4 Item 3. Mobility & Sustainability Updates a. Asst. Director Anderson reported on the Mobility & Sustainability updates to the Board. He reported on the Southern Loop trolley route, launched November 2025, operating Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Ridership decreased from 2,113 passengers in June to 1,600 in July, which is typical during the summer months with students out of school and regular passengers traveling more often. Since the start of the Southern Loop, there have been 14,210 riders. Freebee had 7,750 passengers in July and 65,520 passengers rode the Ponce trolley route. There were 2,920 passengers on the Grand trolley route last month. The trolley continues to be on the summer schedule, meaning the hours stay the same but there is one less trolley on Ponce. There are five trolleys on Ponce now vs the regular six throughout the rest of the summer. This is to run the most efficient operation possible. b. During the July 4th celebrations and fireworks show at the Biltmore Hotel, the Trolley has more than 3,150 passengers transported between the City Hall parking lot and the Biltmore Hotel, making it a very successful turnout for America’s 250th birthday. c. On August 19, the City of Coral Gables and the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce will host business owners and employees to participate in a roundtable discussion on traffic, parking, and customer access in the city’s commercial districts. The Parking Department wants to hear directly from the public about the challenges they are experiencing and work together to identify solutions that support local businesses today and their future growth. There will be an update on how the roundtable went during the next Board meeting. d. On the Sustainability side, on Saturday, June 27, there was a planting event, Planting for Patriotism, which was made possible due to a $500 grant from Keep America Beautiful that was awarded to Keep Coral Gables Beautiful. The event was to beautify the Blue Star Memorial at the War Memorial Youth Center in honor of the country’s 250th birthday on July 4th. 50 volunteers attended and planted 126 red, white, and blue plants around the Memorial and Youth Center entrance. This event is in partnership with the city’s Greenspace Management team, Community Recreations, and the Coral Gables Garden Club. The first Composting Made Simple Workshop was held at the Coral Gables Library on July 20 with 27 participants in attendance. This workshop was hosted by the Sustainability team and Renuable, educating the public on backyard composting and the city’s drop-off program.
5. 5 Item 4. Mobility Hub Update a. Director Beltran updated the Board on the status of the Mobility Hub (MH). Construction preparations are ongoing and there is extensive coordination with FPL on utility connections. b. The city is working with its Capital Improvement Program (CIP) team as Garage 4 must be recertified, CIP staff are aiming to have it done quickly so that each parking space becomes available to reassign to permit holders. Currently more spaces are available in Garage 2 as nearby construction has ended, allowing those who have spots in G4 to park in G2 temporarily. c. A sample mock-up of the exterior and ceiling that have been previously discussed in past Board meetings will be displayed on 7th floor of the Minorca Garage once it is available. This will allow the Board to see the sample design for the MH. d. Board Member De Tournay noted that she and other residents have opposed several major development projects, including the Mobility Hub project from the beginning, and expressed concern that the input of city advisory boards and residents is not always reflected in city decisions, particularly regarding projects that affect parking, development, and the character of the city. The Board expressed similar concerns. Director Beltran acknowledged the concerns and explained that the Commission has approved the MH project, and that the role of staff is now to optimize the project and achieve the best possible outcome for the city while trying to minimize impacts on parking wherever possible. Director Beltran further stated that she communicates the Board’s concerns and opposition to leadership whenever opportunities arise during high-level meetings. e. Board Member Famadas raised concerns regarding bump-outs associated with new development and their impact on the availability of on-street parking. Director Beltran explained that landscaping and beautification requirements apply to new construction and that some bump-outs result from these requirements. The Board expressed concern that the use of public right-of-way for landscaping can result in the loss of public parking spaces. Director Beltran stated that the city works to maintain public on-street parking by encouraging beautification and landscaping to be accommodated on private property and, where possible, negotiating smaller bump-outs or other design modifications.
6. 6 Item 5. Residential Parking Discount Update a. Director Beltran updated the Board on the Residential Parking Discount after the most recent Commission meeting. Data is being gathered on a month-to-month basis and monthly reporting to Commission is required to track any potential revenue impact with the loss of Garage 1 for the construction of the Mobility Hub.
7. 7 Item 6. Equipment & Technology Update a. Asst. Director Kowalchik updated the Board on the new permit and payment system. Full testing is underway in Garage 2, while the full rollout to other facilities is pending resolution of issues. b. Director Beltran informed the Board of the credit card fee recovery that will be enabled by new technology, possibly $3.15 per transaction, when previously this was not possible. This technology will also assist in automatic renewal for those with permits. This also comes with the ability for people to manage their accounts virtually. c. Asst. Director Kowalchik spoke about parking access and equipment control for the garages, and the piggyback contract has been sent to Procurement. The Minorca Garage will go back to being a gated garage to protect revenue. d. He also updated the Board that 200 of the single-space meters have been removed. They are being replaced with app signs and pay stations. 45 new pay stations have been ordered, and they are expected to arrive between September and October. Currently, the city has 174 single-space meters throughout the city. App payments now represent about 90 to 95 percent of transactions. e. Chairperson Holian noted that there are connectivity issues in Merrick Park. App parking extension fails in low-signal areas (e.g., inside parking garage near theater or inside the theater).
8. 8 Item 7. Open Discussion a. Board Member Famadas brought up the issue of Salvador Park causing parking issues for the teachers at St. Phillips school as people would like to use the park but do not park in the designated spaces for park use. The area most affected is the east side of Salvador Park. Director Beltran will have staff take a look at the issue and see what can be done to resolve it. b. Chairperson Holian is interested in learning about the difference in Trolley vs Freebee riders who are residents or people who work in the city. Asst. Director Anderson informed her of the ongoing survey that is available on each trolley; the results found that 60 percent of the survey results are from residents, meaning more residents use the Trolley. c. Board Member Famadas and Chairperson Holian mentioned that the Biltmore Hotel now requires paid parking. It is managed by the Biltmore, not the city, and it is $15 for every 2 hours. Board Member Famadas was given a warning but Chairperson Holian’s daughter was given a citation during her wedding at the hotel that was issued at $35. The citations do mirror city rates. d. Board Member De Tourney brought up the Parking Master Plan and how it has been a long time since the last update. Director Beltran explained that the consultant, Kimley-Horn, is engaged but no document has been received yet. The Board requested an update at next meeting. e. Chairperson Holian discussed the Florida property tax amendment. She raised concern that increased homestead exemption will reduce municipal revenue with replacement costs that shift to new fees and/or taxes. There has been no county rebuttal heard publicly. Director Beltran wanted to mention that the City of Coral Gables’ budget is conservative for fiscal year 2027 in case the property bill passes in November. f. Board Member Famadas wants an update on the department’s budget, revenue, and targets. Director Beltran agreed and will invite Ivan Baez, Administrative & Fiscal Affairs Manager, to present on the budget and revenue.
9. 9 Item 8. Adjournment – The PAB adjourned at 7:07 P.M. Next Meeting – September 16, 2026
10. 10. ADJOURNMENT
11. 11 NOTE

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