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Home My WebLink About14 - Parking Control Citation Handheld EquipmentCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Agenda Item No. 14 April 28, 2009 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Administrative Services Department Dennis C. Danner, Administrative Services Director (949) 644 -3123 or ddanner Ca->city.newport- beach.ca.us Glen Everroad, Revenue Division Manager (949) 644 -3144 or everroad(cDcity.newport- beach.ca.us Lois Thompson, Fiscal Services Manager (949) 644 -3122 or Ithompson(acitv.nlgMort- beach.ca.us SUBJECT: Upgrade of Parking Control Citation Handheld Equipment ISSUE: Should the City Council authorize the upgrade of the Parking Control Citation Handheld Equipment used by Police personnel and approve a budget amendment in the amount of $40,618 to pay for the upgrade? RECOMMENDATION: Approve a budget amendment in the amount of $40,618 to Account No. 7024 - 08001000 (Parking Meter Replacement) offsetting the revenue from Account No. 1820 -5212 (Parking and PD Admin Fines) for the upgrade of Parking Control Citation Handheld Equipment. DISCUSSION: Background: The FY 2008 -09 Capital Improvement Program includes $120,000 for the annual replacement of parking meters. A Purchase Order in the amount of $114,330 has been issued to Duncan Technologies for the purchase of fourteen new Parking Meter Pay Stations that accept credit cards. These Pay Stations are going to be installed in small City owned parking lots. They require the user to note the parking space number and then pay at a centralized Pay Station. Each of these Pay Stations eliminates the need for up to 15 individual parking meters. Upgrade of Parking Control Citation Handheld Equipment April 28, 2009 Page 2 At the present time, when a Parking Control Officer (PCO) enters an area where there is a Pay Station installed, the PCO must approach the Pay Station on foot and manually update the handheld citation writer with the number of parking stalls that have/have not been paid for. This information is used to determine which vehicle receives a citation for non - payment of parking fees. A retrofit is available that would allow the current handheld devices to maintain wireless live updates of paid parking stall data automatically. Among other things, this will eliminate citations being issued in error due to a customer paying for parking after the PCO officer has manually uploaded the parking data (the current procedure). The new system will continually update the data available to the Officer. We believe the addition of the wireless capability to the handheld devices will increase the efficiency of the PCOs. In addition, staff is also requesting the addition of photo documentation to the PCO handheld devices. The California Vehicle Code requires the City to provide parking citation recipients two opportunities to appeal the validity of a parking citation. Following the two appeals administered by the City, an appellant may then appeal a parking citation in Superior Court. Approximately 70,000 parking citations were issued in FY 2007 -08 and about 3,600 citation recipients (5 %) appealed their citations. Records reflect that 75% of appeals are related to three violations — expired meter (34 %), handicap parking (23 %) and street sweeping (18 %). Hearing officers report that most frequently appellants argue that the violation simply did not occur, that signage was absent or obscured, or that the officer was mistaken. The Vehicle Code provides that the parking citation itself is evidence that the violation occurred and that the issuing officer need not be present at the appeal. In reaching a decision on whether to uphold or dismiss a citation, the hearing officers are challenged to weigh evidence provided by appellants against the limited information provided on the citation. PCOs attempt to provide sufficient information in a limited notes section of the citation to evidence the violation (e.g. "no placard" on a handicap violation), but this information is lacking when compared to the testimony and photographs provided by appellants. As a result, hearing officers may provide the appellant the benefit of the doubt and dismiss validly issued citations. If a citation is upheld by the hearing officer, many appellants pursue secondary and tertiary appeals when they believe their evidence outweighs the City's. Handheld citation writer technology has evolved in the past decade to include cameras capable of capturing images of parking violations and attaching the images to the electronic citations. The adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" is certainly applicable to parking violations. Agencies using this technology report fewer appeals when the violator is provided a picture with the notice of violation. They also report fewer dismissals of appealed violations and secondary appeals when citations included an image of the violation. Customer relations in these typically charged situations improve when the hearing officer is able to point out in an image why there was a violation_ Improved customer service and reduced appeal costs, as well as fewer parking fines being Upgrade of Parking Control Citation Handheld Equipment April 28, 2009 Page 3 dismissed suggest this one -time cost is worthwhile. Adding image capture capabilities at the same time the wireless upgrade described above occurs reduces the cost for this upgrade (image capture is approximately $11,000 of the total cost). The total cost to upgrade the thirteen handheld, devices with the wireless and photo documentation enhancements is $40,618 including sales tax. Staff is recommending the issuance of a change order to the existing Purchase Order, since it will provide the ability to use the new features before the busy summer season is upon us. We believe both of these enhancements to the handheld devices will not only increase the efficiency of the PCOs but will also enhance customer service and reduce the number of citations dismissed for lack of or insufficient evidence of the violation. To move forward with this enhancement for the handheld parking citation devices, staff is requesting a Budget Amendment in the amount of $40,618 from the Parking Fine Revenue Account No. 1820 -5212 to the existing CIP Account No. 7024- CB001000 entitled "Parking Meter Replacement'. The Police Department has reviewed this report and agrees with the recommended action. Environmental Review: The City Council's approval of this item does not require an environmental review. Public Notice: The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item). Funding Availability: Funding for this item will require a budget amendment in the amount of $40,618 from the Parking Fine Revenue Account No. 1820 -5212 to the existing CIP Account No. 7024- C8001000 entitled "Parking Meter Replacement ". Alternatives: The alternative to this item is to not approve the budget amendment and equipment upgrade and continue operations in the present form. Upgrade of Parking Control Citation Handheld Equipment April 28, 2009 Page 4 Prepared By: Gle verroad Revenue Division Manager Submitted by: Dennis C. Danner Administrative Services Director Lois Thompson Fiscal Services Manager Attachments: Photographs of Parking Violation Situations Budget Amendment I xr y e 1v � r �• ' .6i'rit. {I � }t City of Newport Beach BUDGET AMENDMENT 2008 -09 EFFECT ON BUDGETARY FUND BALANCE: Increase Revenue Estimates �X Increase Expenditure Appropriations AND Transfer Budget Appropriations SOURCE: from existing budget appropriations from additional estimated revenues NX from unappropriated fund balance EXPLANATION: NO. BA- 09BA -049 AMOUNT: $4o,61s.00 Increase in Budgetary Fund Balance Decrease in Budgetary Fund Balance No effect on Budgetary Fund Balance This budget amendment is requested to provide for the following: To increase expenditure appropriations from General Fund unappropriated fund balance for the upgrade of Parking Control Citation Handheld Equipment. ACCOUNTING ENTRY: BUDGETARYFUND BALANCE Fund Account Description 010 3605 General Fund - Fund Balance REVENUE ESTIMATES (3601) Fund /Division Account Description EXPENDITURE APPROPRIATIONS (3603) Division Number Account Number Division Number Account Number Division Number Account Number Division Number Account Number Signed: Signed: Description' 7024 Neighborhood Enhancement C8001000 Parking Meter Replacement 0 Approval: AdminiyWative Services Director City Manager Amount Debit Credit $40,618.00 $40,618.00 ;K--1-Z:0 Date to Signed: City Council Approval: City Clerk Date