BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Alan Lowenthal, Chair
2011-12 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 774
AUTHOR: Hancock
INTRODUCED: February 18, 2011
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: March 30, 2011
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Beth Graybill
SUBJECT : California Community Colleges: parking fees.
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes the governing board of a community
college district to increase parking fees charged to students
and employees to a maximum of $50 per semester and provides
for annual increases to the limit as specified.
BACKGROUND
Existing law authorizes the governing board of a California
Community College (CCC) district to charge students and
employees a maximum of $40 per semester and $20 per
intercession for regular parking permits, not to exceed the
actual cost of providing parking services. Current law also
prohibits a district from charging more than $30 per semester
and $15 per intercession for permits issued to students who
regularly carpool and specifies that students who receive
Board of Governors' (BOG) Fee Waivers are exempt from parking
fees that exceed $20 per semester. (Education Code § 76360)
Existing law authorizes the governing board of a CCC district
to charge a fee in excess of the $40 limit if the number of
full-time equivalent students per parking space exceeds the
statewide average and if the price of land adjacent to the
campus exceeds the statewide average cost of land adjacent to
community college campuses. (EC § 76360)
Existing law requires revenues from parking fees to be
expended only for parking services or for purposes of
reducing the costs to students and employees using public
transportation to and from college. (EC § 76360)
Existing law authorizes the governing board of a CCC district
to require students and employees at a campus to pay a fee to
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partially or fully recover costs incurred by the district for
providing reduced public transportation fares to students and
employees, and specifies that the sum of the fee for
transportation and the fee charged for parking services shall
not exceed $70 per semester or $35 per intersession or the
equivalent for part-time enrollment. (EC § 76361)
ANALYSIS
This bill :
1) Raises the statutory limits for parking fees CCC
districts are allowed to charge by authorizing governing
boards to charge:
a) Up to $50 per semester and $25 per
intersession for parking services.
b) Up to $35 per semester and $15 per
intercession for students who certify that they
regularly carpool with two or more passengers in
the vehicle parked at the community college.
2) Specifies that the fee limit for regular and carpool
parking services shall increase annually by the same
percentage increase as the Implicit Price Deflator for
State and Local Government Purchases of Goods and
Services published by the United States Department of
Commerce.
3) Increases the amount students on a BOG fee waiver may
pay for parking by specifying that students who receive
these waivers shall be exempt from parking fees that
exceed $30 dollars per semester.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill : The current cap on CCC parking fees
has been in place for since 1988 when it was increased
from $20 per semester. Parking fees are intended to
cover the actual cost of providing parking services
including security services, maintenance of parking lots
and parking structures, site improvements, and equipment
such as security cameras and parking machines.
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According to a recent survey conducted by the California
Community College Chancellor's office, a few districts
charge parking fees in excess of the $40 limit, while a
few rural districts do not require students to pay a fee
for parking. Most districts that responded to the
survey however, charge more than $30 dollars per
semester for regular parking, and several districts are
at the statutory limit of $40. Several respondents
indicated that the current fee limit does not generate
sufficient revenue to pay for all their maintenance
requirements causing them to supplement with general
fund resources, which over time could erode programs and
services. This bill gives districts greater flexibility
to adjust parking fees to meet local needs while
maintaining a level of affordability for students.
2) Implicit Price Deflator . The Implicit Price Deflator
for State and Local Government Purchases of Goods and
Services is an index published by the U.S. Department of
Commerce that is a weighted average of the detailed
price indexes used in estimating constant-dollar GDP.
This measure of inflation is used to calculate increases
to school district revenue limits and cost of living
adjustments for California Community Colleges. It is
also used by various state agencies as an objective
metric for determining an annual rate of increase or
decrease in fees.
The proposal to tie the parking fee cap to the Implicit Price
Deflator is consistent with other authorized fees for
the community colleges, including health fees and
transportation services. This method will allow for
more gradual increases over time and enable governing
boards to better ensure that funds generated from
parking fees will cover the actual costs of providing
parking services to students.
3) Administrative ease . To smooth out budgeting and
transactional "kinks" that could arise from annual
adjustments that are in fractions of dollars, it may be
more practical to establish the fee limit as proposed
then authorize each community college district governing
board to increase the fee above the limit by the same
percentage increase as the Implicit Price Deflator for
State and Local Government Purchase of Goods and
Services and specify that the fee may be increased for
every whole dollar increment the calculation produces.
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Staff recommends amendments to replace the proposed
subparagraph (3) of subdivision §76360 (a) with language
that authorizes governing boards to increase the fee
annually up to the next whole dollar increment above the
existing fee limit that the calculation produces.
4) Related and prior legislation .
SB 82 (Hancock, Chapter 619, 2009) increased and established
an annual inflationary adjustment to the statutory cap
placed on California community college transportation
fees. This measure was heard and passed by this
Committee on a 7-0 vote.
AB 774 (Cook, Chapter 253, 2009) authorized the Riverside
Community College District to charge a fee to fund
transportation services, as specified. This measure was
heard and passed by this Committee by a 9-0 vote.
AB 1980 (Swanson, Chapter 145, 2008) authorized the Peralta
Community College district to charge a fee to fund
transportation services, as specified. This measure was
heard and passed by this Committee by a 9-0 vote.
AB 1968 (Leslie, Chapter 560, 2006) authorized the Los Rios
Community College District and the Rio Hondo Community
College District to charge a fee for using
transportation service, as specified. This measure was
heard and passed by this Committee by a 9-0 vote.
AB 2812 (Higher Education Committee, Chapter 954, 1998)
reorganized community college parking fee provisions,
authorized community college governing boards to levy
fees to fund parking facility construction and
transportation services, and established maximum fee
amounts that districts are authorized to charge for
parking and transportation services. This measure was
heard and passed by this Committee on a 13-0 vote.
SUPPORT
Community College League
Kern Community College District
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Los Angeles Community College District
Mt. San Jacinto Community College District
Peralta Community College District
Rio Hondo Community College District
San Jose-Evergreen Community College District
West Kern Community College Districts
OPPOSITION
None received.