Surfside

Parking Deferral

Questions over revenue increases and fees cause the Surfside Town Commission to delay approving new parking meters

By Rene Basulto

Surfside residents and visitors alike should still keep some change handy for filling up the town’s old coin-only parking meters, as the Town Commission deferred a vote Monday on a resolution to purchase 49 high-tech parking pay stations from Parkeon, Inc., until the Sept. 9 commission meeting.

The deferment stemmed from the commission’s desire for more information about the full cost of the project, whether it would increase parking revenue and other factors, before approving the purchase.

Parkeon’s proposed pay stations take credit cards and cash in addition to coins, and handle multiple parking spaces with one machine.

The company has sold similar machines to Miami, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Bay Harbor Islands.

The resolution stated the proposed cost of the 49 machines was $601,450, which would come from the town’s parking fund that has accumulated roughly $2 million, according to Town Manager Gary Word.

Parkeon North American President Michael Kavor was at the meeting. He touted the system’s advantages, including integrated solar panels, wireless real-time credit card transactions to prevent fraud, and maintenance alerts when the machine is nearly filled with coins or out of service.

However, newer may not always mean better or more convenient, stressed Commissioner Elizabeth Calderon.

“Before we just jump on this bandwagon, we have to know whether or not [the new system] is the better thing to do,” Calderon said.

Calderon also wondered if the new system would increase parking revenue from the estimated $150,000 for the current fiscal year projected by Word.

Vice Mayor Marc Iberman asserted people would often pay for longer periods than they actually parked.

Still, he wanted to know the projections “as made by the professionals.”

Commissioner Howard Weinberg cited a report the commission received from Parkeon stating that revenues do in fact go up under the new system. However, there was no supporting documentation for the claim.

Kavor confirmed there would be a monthly fixed management fee of $50 per machine to cover an entire back office support system, credit card processing and access to a Web site for town employees to monitor maintenance alerts.

“We are maintaining antiquated pieces of machinery,” Weinberg said. “We are spending money on meters which are at the end of their useful life.” The item will be continued at the Sept. 9 commission meeting.