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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCD-17-97 THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON REPORT Meeting: General Purpose and Administration Committee File# LC Res. #C P0 7—1/7 Date: April 7, 1997 By-Law# Report File#: Subject: REQUEST FROM BOWMANVILLE BUSINESS CENTRE RE PARKING Recommendations: It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee recommend to Council the following: 1 . THAT Report CD-17-97 be received; 2 . THAT staff be authorized to convert all parking meters from one to two hour limits and to purchase new meter covers, new labels to be attached to the meters, and 35 electronic meters; 3 . THAT the necessary funds be taken from the Parking Reserve Fund, #1110-162-X; and 4 . THAT the Bowmanville Business Centre be advised of Council' s decision. In 1996 the Bowmanville Business Centre approached staff with several matters concerning the parking meters in downtown Bowmanville. They are concerned that the meters are confusing and the public was unsure of the applicable rates, length of permitted parking and times of operation. There was also dissatisfaction over the current plastic bags used to cover the meters at Christmas and for various other occasions . As a result of several meetings with representatives of the Centre, staff are now recommending that the following changes be implemented: 1 . New meter cover bags be purchased. A quote has been obtained from a company within the Region for 250 bags with locks . The bags will be made of nylon. On the outside will be the standard "No Parking" symbol and once turned inside out there will be a notation which states "COMPLIMENTS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON11 . The bags, plus locks, will cost $11 . 24 each for a total of $2 , 810 . RECYCL"L PIIE, PIPER REAECYCLE 701 �ISIS P131-W BECYPILED PAPER REPORT NO. CD-17-97 PAGE 2 2 .. New decals, which will more clearly explain the rates and hours of operation, be purchased and affixed to the meters' top strap. Prior to this purchase, the Bowmanville Business Centre will be given the opportunity to review the wording with staff, as requested. 3 . As Council may recall, when the electronic meters were first purchased, the initial order was split between MacKay and another company, Electromega. The Electromega meters are a hybrid unit, an electronic clock with a mechanical coin mechanism. There are currently 35 of these units in use . According to Electromega, conversion of these meters to a maximum two hour limit will require their removal from street and shipment back to the company. The conversion will be made there and the meters returned to us within a couple of weeks at a cost of $56 . 35 per meter for a total of $1, 972 . 25 . In order to convert the meters from one to two hours it will be necessary to reprogram the units . The MacKay meters can be converted by a representative from the company through the use of a hand held unit . This is accomplished while the meter is still in the housing and on the street . The cost for this is an initial programming fee of $94 . 50 and a service fee of $84 . 50 per hour. MacKay' s representative estimates that the work can be completed within two hours . While converting the timing, the representative will also replace the current one hour labels with new ones at a cost of $250 ($2 . 00 per meter) . 4 . Approximately five years of use has shown the MacKay to be the more reliable meter as it will accept all denominations of coin and the method in which the overtime feature is dislayed is less confusing to the public . The cost of converting the time limit only emphasizes the difference between the two units . Any further time or rate changes will cost $263 . 50 (plus label costs) for the MacKay meters and $1, 972 . 25 plus at least two weeks of down time for the Electromega. Staff are therefore recommending the removal of the Electromega units and replacement with the MacKay meters . MacKay has provided a quote of $200 per meter ($7, 000 total) on removing the Electromega meters and replacing them with 35 new, fully electronic MacKay 702 REPORT NO. CD-17797 PAGE 3 meters of the same type currently in use . By comparison, the cost of conversion of the Electromaga meters, including the two week down time, is $3 , 722 . 25 . The Bowmanville Business Centre has recognized that it may be advisable to convert back to the one hour limit if the two hour conversion does not prove successful . Should it be necessary to revisit this issue and make other changes to the meters in the future, the cost of the MacKay units will have been offset over the Electromega units . Additionally, the MacKay meters will increase public satisfaction with its simple, user friendly operation. RECOMMENDATIONS Staff respectfully request that Committee recommend to Council the expenditure of $12, 228 . 53 to implement the proposals listed above and that the necessary funds be drawn from the Parking Reserve Fund (1110-162-X) for this purpose . Respectfully submitted Reviewed by � r LPatti L. Ba ie, A.M.C.T. W. H. Stockwell Clete Chief Administrative Officer PLB/LC Enc 703 HB0;?�&Avt& BOWMANVILLE BUSINESS CENTRE lrOWNIANVILLE P.O. BOX 365 fiusiN ss CENTRE BOWMANVILLE, ONT. L'I C 31.1 1 997 02 12 Mrs . Patti Barrie Town Clerk 40 Temperance Street Bowmanv i 1 le , Ontario L1C 3A6 Dear Mrs . Barrie Further to our meeting concerning the problems related to the parking meters in the Downtown , we would be pleased if YOU would arrange for: 1 ) the meters to be changed to accommodate a two hour period , at $ . 50 per hour , 2 ) the purchase of durable bags to prevent visitors to the Downtown from paying at the meters after 4 : 30 p. m. on Friday until- Monday at 8 : 30 a. m. , as the meters would be covered with these locked bags during -this period , and to contain the message , "Free Parking To- day" ( these bags could also be made such that the message "No Parking" was printed on the inside so that they could be reversed for use on those occas- ions ) , and , 3) the purchase of signage to affixed to the outside of each meter explaining the hours during which pay- ment at the meters is required and the amount of time given for each coin amount . On the matter of the last item, we would be pleased to be given the opportunity of commenting on the precise wording that would appear on the signage . _ If you have an S y question concerning these requests I would be pleased if you would contact me at 623-2997 . Yours very truly ORIGINAL TO:__­-..._ COHES TO- t Garth G i l p i n Secretary Treasurer and _..,....._._a. General- Manager