Responses are provided below addressing Mr. Obando’s recommendations on the last page of his PowerPoint submittal:
- “Eliminate thru an ordinance the actual number or Parking residential areas and create only three, South, Middle and North.”
This is not recommended. Residential zones are established to address parking shortages exacerbated by the intrusion of customers of area businesses. Creating a large residential area for an entire CMB area would defeat their purpose. While this recommendation would make enforcement easier, it would also impact our residents’ quality of life. As an example, the south of fifth area (zone 1) cannot support parking demand for all south beach residents visiting area restaurants.
Parking is working with IT to create drop-down menus categorized by zones and certain permits (citywide, hybrid, etc.) to assist with enforcement.
- “Eliminate the xParking app to enforce permits; use decals/hangtags for residential permits and others (hotels, care givers, real state agents, etc.), technically and economically a better option.”
This is not recommended. Virtual verification of residential and visitor permits represents a technological advancement that improves accountability and allows residents to obtain permits remotely without having to make a trip to City Hall. Virtual permits cannot be transferred or duplicated, they are automatically canceled for non-payment and provide residents the convenience of online service. In the past, paper visitor passes were being illegally sold for a profit during high-impact periods. Some claimed not receiving mailed residential decals and received replacements. Purchasing decals, maintaining an inventory, mailing decals, and the entire administration of a decal program come with a cost that is not justifiable.
- “To enforce meters, like any other municipality, the interface between the paying stations and the device issued for the County is achievable in the new environment, display of receipts on the dash of the vehicles will be another option; Pay by phone is not a so user-friendly option but a study should be conducted to see if investing in more paying stations would increase revenue to the City not to an external vendor like Park mobile. Tourists, principally from South America, cannot download that app, it is necessary to share revenue?”
The City is itself a case study on the value of multiple parking payment options. During the Pandemic, as a savings cost measure, the City removed pay stations and left only the mobile payment option. ParkMobile expanded its services to include text, telephone, and web page payments to address shortcomings associated with WIFI availability and user preference. Mobile payment service allows customers to extend time remotely, provides time expiration reminders, prevents parking citations, and provides savings to customers who can pay for parking in smaller increments and remotely extend the time as needed.
Pay stations are a more expensive option as compared to mobile payment systems. Nevertheless, during the pandemic, as revenues increased, the Department restored a reduced number of pay stations for credit card payments only. The change was a success; we offered customers a payment option while saving over one million dollars annually. From eleven (11) meter technicians the department now has only one (1); this alone is a significant saving.
Displaying receipts on a dashboard is an old practice that led to complaints when an officer could not see a receipt, or a customer forgot to display the receipt. Also, it is highly inconvenient for customers to have to walk back to their vehicles every time they need to extend time.
- “Go paperless with the process of impounding vehicles, not only in Parking but Police, even daily activity reports of the work performed for Parking Enforcement Officers can be done thru an application like Park Rangers do, Parking Officers must submit a written daily activity report in a piece of paper.”
Although some employees feel more comfortable submitting a paper report than typing on an iPad, the department will take this recommendation into consideration.
Regarding impounding of vehicles, cities like Coral Gables and South Miami, to which Mr. Obando compares us, do not tow in residential zones except for tags flagged by the County. Also, these cities work with only one towing company. CMB has two permitted companies and have permit requirements that make dispatching necessary.
- “With the money saved once xParking is eliminated, create in the City web site a portal to make public the information of impounded vehicles to decongest Parking and Police dispatch phone lines.”
We do not recommend the elimination of xParking, a program developed by IT as an in-house alternative to the new enforcement software provided by the County.
Parking citations are adjudicated by the County’s Clerk of Courts. Enforcement officers utilize County-issued ticket-writing equipment (AutoCites), which was upgraded several years ago. However, the system did not work for CMB due to our number of payment and permit sources. The City has meter rates ranging from $1.00 to $4.00, plus residential discounts. Enforcement times vary from 9 to 24 hours. Parking payments can be made at pay stations or through mobile payment (ParkMobile). Consequently, the City was faced with having to develop its own software either by paying the County’s vendor or developing an in-house solution.
The City’s IT staff developed a solid parking IOS payment verification software. Given that enforcement staff needs to use an iPad for other enforcement functions such as right-of-way and construction parking management plan violations, the software was installed in iPads already required to be carried by officers.
PES Obando stated in his PowerPoint: “The costs to issue a citation or enforce residential areas were increase (more time, more equipment, more employees involved) the investment is negative and does not justify the use of the app, not technically, not economically.” We tested the in-house software on various occasions prior to implementation. As recently as last week we again tested the system. In one location, Five (5) staff members used the iPad to verify payment using the system’s camera. Scanning of tags (capture of an image using a camera) occurred within 3 to 7 seconds. Officers then tested the system manually by entering tag numbers. The results were similar. The great benefit of capturing an image is accuracy and the storing of an image that serves to address questions when the information entered by a customer differs from that of the officer. Reference the cost of storing images, we have paid less than $1.00 to store captured images since inception of the image capturing feature (8 months).
- “Develop a career path to Parking Enforcement Specialists, giving them the opportunity of career advancement (PESII), eliminating part time positions due to hidden costs; clear expectations must be written for the Parking Officers/dispatchers and Supervisors in order to motivate thru work understanding and merit increase; having those employees accountable and eliminating the long and expensive process of citations cancellations is also necessary.”
The PESII position was removed from parking schedules by the prior administration following a grievance in which a PESII claimed he was performing supervisory duties. Apparently, the job duties were not sufficiently distinct. Recent Union negotiations resulted in differences in enforcement supervisor job description. Once this is finalized, the reinstatement of the PES II position can be evaluated.
- “Enforce ordinances like any other County municipality, this would release Police resources that are used to enforce tags expired; enforce head in only Fl Statute, among others.”
The enforcement of expired license tags and head-in parking violations was suspended following the City attorney’s opinion that the parking department does not have the authority to enforce these infractions.
- “Consider the possibility to centralize the dispatchers from parking and code under the PSCU, this would release resources and would increase efficiency and control in the administration and planification of communications in the City, in most municipalities parking does not have dispatchers; that is another cost that could be eliminated and having those dispatchers transferred would give them more opportunities of professional development and career advancement also.”
Dispatchers in the Parking Department perform a myriad of duties in support of the Code and Parking departments. Among other duties, dispatchers assign tows, answer and assign resident complaints, verify tag information prior to towing, and register meal breaks. Moving dispatchers to another department does not represent staff savings as any service provided to the department has to be funded by Parking.
- “A better planning and organization of the Parking Enforcement Operation is necessary, the City is hiring 18 more part time parking enforcement officers but not a single piece of extra equipment has been bought.”
PES Obando is absolutely misinformed on this matter. Keeping in mind that parking staffing was significantly reduced during the pandemic, the department has equipment ready to redeploy as staffing levels increase. The department is aware some equipment was changed or upgraded during the pandemic. Any delay in equipment deployment may be due to chain supply issues but not to a lack of planning or awareness.