Pay-and-display parking meters such as this will become a more common sight in Ottawa.
The City of Ottawa is one step closer to the implementation of pay-and-display parking machines after councillors decided on an unconventional process at a City Council’s transportation committee meeting earlier this week.
The debate is not about replacing the city’s parking meters with the pay-and-display machines, but the way in which the switch should be made. Toronto-based company Precise ParkLink Inc. submitted an unsolicited proposal outlining a 10-year contract, which would produce a $1.5-million increase in parking revenues in each of the first five years.
Known as the Ottawa Option process, some say it gives one company an unfair advantage over the competition. Under the agreement, city officials will begin negotiations with the company immediately; and while other organizations will have the chance to come forward with a better contract, Precise ParkLink will ultimately have the chance to match the other bids.
Under the proposal, the privately owned Precise ParkLink would also take over all other aspects of Ottawa’s parking operations.
Lori Mellor, executive director of the Preston Street Business Improvement Area, supports the use of pay-and-display machines but says the city needs to spend more time reviewing all of the options.
"The company that has gone for this Ottawa Option was culled, so this is them basically saying if we can’t win then we’re going to change the rules," she says. "We need all the players to be able to come with their ideas in the request for information about what can be done."
Mellor added that the city did not consult any of the BIAs or the general public about parking issues before "rushing" into this decision while many logistics surrounding parking are still being worked out, such as whether or not the city needs a parking authority.
But Tom Keeley, director of business development for Precise ParkLink, says the company is only following policy put forth by city council in order to open the marketplace.
"I think senior [city] staff that made the recommendation, they’ve done their due diligence. They’ve analyzed the proposal and they felt that this met the Ottawa Option," he says.
On April 11, city staff recommended the implementation of the proposal presented by Precise ParkLink, which prompted the transportation committee to vote on the issue. After hearing from numerous delegations, including some of the competing organizations, councilors voted six-to-four in favour of the process. After supporting the proposal, Mayor Larry O’Brien said that something needs to be done about what he says is "a no-lose situation for the City of Ottawa".
The issue will be decided on once more at the next council meeting on April 23.