Spring Street Parking Garage
Jamestown City Council has to determine how to pay for new cameras and lighting for the Spring and Cherry Street Parking Ramps.
Council reviewed two resolutions totaling $249,680 to purchase the cameras and lights at its work session Monday.
Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said city has applied for a police grant to cover the $70,770 cost to purchase the cameras but that he did not know when the announcement of grant awards would be made.
Council member Randy Daversa said 44 cameras would be purchased with 18 going into the Cherry Street Ramp and 26 going into the Spring Street Ramp.
Council President Tony Dolce said there is enough money in the contingency fund to cover the cost.
Deputy Comptroller Carol Malek said interest earned from American Rescue Plan funds could go toward the cost as well, “I transferred the funds, I think it was in July, and we’ve been averaging between $45,000 and $47,000 a month in interest for those that would not have been included as revenue in the budget for 2023.”
Council Member at Large and Mayor-Elect Kim Ecklund requested that Malek put together information on how the project could be funded.
Council also reviewed a resolution to contract with Premium Parking for the management of the parking ramps and surface lots in downtown Jamestown. Premium Parking acquired AllPro Parking, who currently has the contract with the city, in 2022.
Sundquist said Premium Parking recommended the city bid out a gateless entry system after bids for an automated gate system came in too high, “Where they use a QR code to pay for your parking. And what they do with the employees that would be in the ramp, they have them walking the ramp during their normal shift. And they would be scanning license plates to make sure that you’ve paid and also dealing with anything else that might be going on in the parking ramp.”
Sundquist said the contract would maintain the current costs to the city with a one time cost of $20,000 for new signage.
He said most of the people who park in the ramps are monthly parkers and there are only about 20 daily parkers, “It didn’t make a lot of sense in analyzing that. The recommendation was moving to a gateless technology. I actually went and took a look with Premium at their lots in Buffalo. Other cities have moved to this kind of cashless method. And it was very easy to use, intuitive, when you got close to the time you could add more. It sends you a text message which was quite good.”
Sundquist added that while the proposed system is cashless, he will be talking to Premium Parking per request of the Finance Committee to see how much a machine would cost that can also accept cash.
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