Police Department Asks for Additional Money for Parking Meters

The is requesting a 34 percent increase for parking enforcement

Chief Douglas Holland, who presented a budget summary to the City Council on March 28, said a big reason for the $53,737 increase is rising lease agreements at parking lots in the city, but he also said expenses associated with parking meter collection in 2011 may have been underestimated.

This is the first full year in which the city is using new, multi-spaced meters that accept credit card payments. PayPal is used to collect these payments, and there are fees associated with the service. Assistant City Administrator Vincent Jones estimated the fees to be about $1,800 per year, a very small expense compared to the 34 percent increase.

But the new multi-spaced meters are also more expensive to maintain than the old meters, which cost between $2,000 and $3,000 per year to run and maintain. The new meters cost $8,500 per year, which includes a $4,680 connectivity charge, according to city Communications Manager Abby Sandel.

“Regardless of the equipment in use, expenses are covered by revenue,” she said. “Certainly higher maintenance costs do impact our revenue, but … the benefits to residents and the ability to access transaction records outweigh the additional expense.”

The meter history can be used in court by parking enforcement personnel should it prove necessary, Sandel said.

The city lot adjacent to , which previously contained old meters, has been converted to a multi-spaced pay station. There are also 114 spots at where there were previously no meters at all, generating new revenue. University Town Center specifically requested multi-spaced meters to encourage short-term use, Sandel said.