New parking meters and fees approved

The City of Yorkton is going to be purchasing new parking meters.

And with their installation meter fees will rise significantly.

Over the past few months we have endeavoured to review and amend the Traffic Bylaw, including a review of our current fees and paid parking options. Currently we have thirteen 15-Minute Meters for on-street parking in the downtown area and approximately 108 meter heads in four downtown parking lots which are designated as meter paid parking or Permit parking, explained René Richard, Director of Engineering & Asset Management at the regular meeting of Yorkton Council Monday.

Richard said the current meters are old and can no longer be easily repaired as replacements parts are no longer available.

“At this point, we must either remove the meters altogether or replace them with newer models. In order to proceed with the Traffic Bylaw Amendment, which will be brought forward to Council at the November 21 meeting, we need to determine what to do with downtown parking meters,” he said.

Working with Public Works, they have suggested an alternative option for parking meters: single meter heads for the 15-Minute on-street meter parking and Multi-space pay stations for each of the lots to replace the meters, said Richard.

“Both types of units will accept credit/debit card or coins and will allow us to increase the fees as required,” he said.

At present the average “parking meter revenue is approximately $550.00 per month with approximately half of the revenue from the 15-Minute Meters and half from parking lot meters,” explained Nicole Baptist, Bylaw Coordinator.

Baptist said the proposal included a rate hike.

Currently, with the 15-minute meters 7.5 minutes costs five cents. That will increase to 25-cents. The full 15-minutes will be 50-cents, up from a quarter.

The fees in metered parking lots will also jump. Ten-cents has covered 25-minutes, and an hour costing 25-cents. With the new system 25-cents will cover 15-minutes, and an hour will cost $1.00.

“Comparing our current revenue and rates to the proposed rates and potential revenue, less the monthly fees that we will incur with the new machines, we are forecasting annual net revenue of approximately $9,078.60,” said Baptist.

“All net revenue received will be put in a reserve account to cover the replacement or repair cost of meters and pay stations. Based on a five year replacement/repair cycle of the parking meters, at the end of 2022, we project a total in reserves of roughly $45,400, which we believe will be sufficient funds to begin repairing and replacing parking meters as required.”

There will of course be a cost to the new equipment.

“We have received a rough quote from ATS Traffic for an M3 Smart Meter for $650.00 per unit and an MS-1 Multi-space Meter for $8,565.00 per unit. In addition there will be monthly fees of $10.50 per M3 Smart Meter and $100 per MS-1 Multi-space Meter which will be paid for out of the revenue received. The monthly fees include license for software, modem and additional data. Based on the rough quote, we request that $50,000 be made available through the 2017 Capital Budget to begin purchasing the meters immediately so we will be prepared when the amended Traffic Bylaw comes into effect. We request the one-time Capital injection with parking meters becoming self-sustaining in the future,” explained Baptist.

Councillor Aaron Kienle said having the system pay for itself was certainly a positive.

“I like the idea of making these meters self-sufficient,” he said.

Ken Chyz said that the proposal was discussed with the Yorkton Business Improvement District (YBID), and said it had been suggested it would be given to them for a second look before being passed onto Council. That offered Chyz said there was value in reviewing parking in the downtown.

In that regard Chyz said where 15-minute meters are located should be assessed, pointing to four spots on Second Avenue which were created when there was a post office location on the street. He said perhaps the location warrants changing now.

Having owned a downtown business Kienle said parking “was the number one issue”, and anything that improves traffic flows, like limited metered parking is a positive.

The key is parking options, suggested Councillor Quinn Haider.

“I think a healthy mix (in parking options) is important,” he said.

In the end Council passed a motion to move forward with the plan to install new meters, but Chyz was opposed.