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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-BPW-1993-09-29BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE September 29, 1993 NOTES PRESENT: Commissioners Brandford, Gerard, Rusoff, Smith, Tripp, Mayor Nichols, and Superintendent Gray. Commissioner Reeves chaired the meeting. Additions: Direction for Jay Norelli matter. There were no deletions to the agenda. 1. Direction for Jay Norelli matter. Commissioner Reeves questioned the Board on how to proceed with the follow up letters from Jay Norelli. Commissioner Brandford stated that he would gather a chronological order of events and present them to the Board with recommendations on how to conclude the issue. 2. Parking Eauinment Committee - Recommendations for Changes to the Parking System within the Gara es Tom West and Lynne Gifford Yost were present to provide recommendations from the committee. Mr. West described the various systems being considered. An attended lot would operate similar to the current system in which an attendant takes payment upon exiting the facility. An unattended lot may consist of a central pay, a Dynameter system or exit pay system. Central pay allows a "parker" to enter the facility, take a ticket and park. After conducting business, the parker approaches the central pay machine, inserts the ticket which is computed and subsequently paid. To get out of the lot, the parker inserts the validated ticket into a machine at the exit gate. With the Dynameter, a parker finds a parking spot, goes to the Dynameter and pays in advance for parking. Enforcement for the Dynameter is similar to that of the current parking meters. A print out is taken from the Dynameter, parking spaces are then checked against the print out and tickets are issued for expired time. The Dynameter, central pay machines and exit pay machines could include an intercom for assistance. For the exit pay system, a ticket is received upon entering. To exit, the ticket would be inserted into a machine that calculates the fee which is then paid. Mr. West presented five alternatives which dealt with attended and unattended systems. Alternate #1 known as "Laissez Faire" allows people to park where they want. The payment system could consist of any of the aforementioned. Alternate #2 would require permit holders to park in the garage while transients would park in the lot. Access to the garage would be from Green Street while the lot entrance would be via Cayuga Street only. Permit holders would insert their permit into a machine that would open the gate to the garage. The lot would be unattended on a pay as you leave basis. The attended option for BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS COMMTTEE OF THE WHOLE September 29, 1993 alternate #2 would include attendants at exit booths. The disadvantage of this alternate is that entrances are not very accessible. Alternate #3 is similar to alt #2 except that access to both the garage and lot are on either Green and Cayuga Streets. The Dynameter system would be used for payment and for permit parking. Alternate #4 is similar to alt #3 except permit parkers would insert a permit into a machine to enter and exit the garage. Alternate #5 would allow access from both Cayuga and Green, permit parking would be in the garage. Permit holders would insert the permit into the machine upon entering the lot and then again at garage entrance. To exit, permit holder inserts the permit into a machine at the garage exit and again at the street exit. Transients would use the exit pay system. It was noted that a debit card system could be accommodated in central pay, exit pay or with the Dynameter system. Alderperson Berg added that remote Dynameters could be placed on the Commons for patrons to add time to a space elsewhere to avoid parking tickets. Mr. West stated that the committee is recommending that the garage be for permit parking only, that access to both facilities be via Green or Cayuga Streets and that central pay be adopted with an alternate pay upon exiting system. Commissioner Brandford noted that weekend parking is needed in the garage as well. Ms. Yost stated that the computer could be programmed to accommodate this by raising garage gates on weekends. Commissioner Brandford added that permit areas could bring resentment due to restricted areas. He also noted that patrolling is needed for security reasons. Commissioner Tripp stated that she understood that changes are needed for better accountability of money and to lower personnel costs. She feels that a flexible, yet simple, system is needed. Ms. Yost stated that she got a rough estimate earlier in the day; central pay will cost between 3/4 to one million dollars installed. These figures surprised the committee as well as the Board. Commissioner Smith stated that he felt the Dynameter could allow for many possibilities including the payment of parking tickets and varied rate parking. The Board has asked the committee to obtain estimates for all the pay systems. In addition, an estimate of savings based on current revenues was also requested. The Board convened into executive session at 5:10 p.m. The meeting adjourned at 6:10 p.m. Notes taken by: Donna L. Payne Administrative Secretary Page - 2