The arrival of licence-plate recognition as a city parking enforcement tool has been delayed again.
After failing to receive any bids on a request for proposal (RFP) last fall, bylaw services has gone back to the drawing board.
During the process of putting together the 2014 budget in December 2013, city council approved $450,000 in spending for the licence-plate recognition program that would involve vehicle cameras and electronic handheld units, along with improved parking regulations signs.
Consultation with the Downtown Business Improvement Association and the local chamber of commerce led to the inclusion of a requirement for any acquired system to have the ability to track licence plates for a vehicle's total time spent parked downtown (allowing for movement and multiple trips) as opposed to enforcing solely those parked for a consecutive period of time.
"Prior to the RFP closing deadline, the city had several suppliers express an interest in the RFP and they asked several questions around our proposed enforcement model," said a staff report to council.
In following up with suppliers after the
Oct. 1, 2014 bid closure, city staff were told no one could supply a product that fit the bill.
"Administration was advised that current technology would not have accurate times of when a vehicle left and then re-entered (or moved) within the downtown zone," said the staff report.
A new request for proposal is under development calling for a "consecutive time based enforcement model."
During Monday night's meeting, city council will be asked to approve changes to the bylaw setting out fines for parking infractions so that it aligns with the signs downtown.
The bylaw currently says a two-hour parking time limit is in effect Monday through Saturday between the hours of 9 a.m. and
6 p.m., a holdover from when parking meters were installed. But the signs on the street restrict parking between the hours of 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. for snow removal and street cleaning.
Parking control officers begin monitoring the streets at 8 a.m., but the discrepancy in the bylaw means "in most areas, there is currently no bylaw offence until a vehicle has been parked for a minimum of two hours and it is after 11 a.m.," said a staff report.
The recommended amendment would switch the starting time in the bylaw for free parking to 8 a.m.
