Explanation
1. BACKGROUND:
This ordinance authorizes the Director of Public Service to enter into a purchase contract for Single Space Parking Meters, and ancillary equipment and training services, for the Division of Mobility Options. This ordinance seeks authority to expend $749,965.00 in available capital funds for the Division of Mobility Options, in the Department of Public Service.
This contract will provide the City with the ability to replace its entire inventory of 4300 parking meters, which has exceeded its designed service life, and allow for expansion. The contract terms will include fixed costs for the parking meters over the five-year contract period, and will be subject to the availability of funding and the approval of City Council. The Division of Mobility Options is currently proposing to purchase 5500 parking meters over this period.
During the last three years, the Department's engineering and Parking Violations Bureau personnel have researched the parking meter market and technology performance. Essentially, there are four single-spaced parking meters providers servicing North America. Research included benchmarking those communities that both encounter extreme weather conditions similar to those in central Ohio, and which have been utilizing advanced-technology meters. In 2008, the City undertook a 9-month field test of single-spaced meters with credit card capability on Gay Street, over a period including both winter and summer weather conditions.
As a result of this successful trial, it was determined, as stated in the evaluation report, that the city should initiate a parking meter program, using advanced technology meters that would provide both additional, customer-friendly, payment options and increased operational cost efficiencies. Primary among the desired features that were incorporated into this recent procurement activity include: multiple forms of payment; solar-recharging batteries; mechanisms that do not re...
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