Seitz Returns to City Council with Automated Parking Proposal

Former Rye City Council member Gerry Seitz returned Wedneday night with his sights honed on raising parking enforcement revenue.  Convinced the City of Rye is not fully realizing potential parking enforcement revenue, Seitz estimates only 10% of parking offenders are actually ticketed.

If the city decides to adopt his automated parking technology, dodging the parking meter could go the way of the Model T.

Seitz, now managing agent of StreetSmart Technology, appeared before the council to give an informational presentation explaining the company's pilot offer. The Georgia-based company wants to install 50 radio-based, in-ground parking sensors for a 30-day test; then present the data gleaned from the pilot period  to the city in hopes they will purchase a 5 year contract with the company.

According to the company's website, the hockey puck-sized disks transmit real-time information about the amount of time cars occupy parking spaces. That information is then relayed directly to parking enforcement officers. The company claims its technology increases "parking enforcement productivity" and "revenue increases ranging from 30 to 55 percent in high-demand locations." Instead of scouting lots of cars looking for lawbreakers, officers could go directly to the spaces where violators were parked.

While Seitz stuck to the sales-friendly pitch of $1 per month per space, Councilmember Catherine Parker quickly crunched the numbers on the potential cost to the city. If adopted,  she said, the system "for the 765 spaces downtown would cost $279,000 per year."  Parker noted the company's 5-year contract would cost nearly $1.4 million. Seitz defended the expense of the system by pointing to the increase revenue. 

"Right now, the actual yield on violations is infinitesimal," said Seitz. "Most municipalities do not ticket most violators." Seitz said the cost of the system would be covered if the city increased the number of parking violators it caught. "If there are 208 hours available [for enforcement], you need only one per month to pay the company fee per month."

Seitz said his company's systems were currently in use in San Francisco and Eastern Pennsylvania. He also said similar radio detection systems functioned in extreme weather conditions in Canada. Grace periods, or additional time, could be programmed into the system and it would be compatible with the existing pay meter kiosks. The disks would also most likely require the city to stripe out spaces for each transmitter to monitor.

Councilman Joseph Sack called the system "an intriguing idea" and Councilwoman Parker invited Seitz to present information about the system to the Chamber of Commerce.

The council gave limited sole source approval for Phoenix Environmental Care and Earthgreen products for use at the Rye Golf Course. Instead of an open-ended arrangement, the council voted 6 to 1, Catherine Parker dissenting, to allow the golf course to purchase its greens maintenance supplies from non-competitive vendors until December 31.

The council did approve the purchase of street repair materials from stone supplier Putnam Materials in Patterson, New York.

Dash-mounted cameras in Rye Police cars will now activate automatically, downloading encrypted digital footage. An older system relied partially on outdated VHS equipment. The council voted unanimously to adopt and no representative from the Rye Police Association were present to comment.

The council unanimously approved permission for the Milton Elementary School Parade this Saturday. 

Non- US citizens may now serve on the Architectural Board of Review. The council decided not to consider expanding the size of the committee at this time. Their hope is that the expanded pool of candidates will increase the chances of consistently reaching quorum.