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Council declines to approve single-source parking sensor contract after resident criticism and council concerns
Summary
A resolution to accept a single-source proposal from Fiber LLC for parking sensors and installation for $102,590 failed after councilmembers cited sensor failures, high cost and mixed performance; an expert witness urged the council to pause and reassess.
The council voted down Resolution 74-20-25 on Sept. 4, rejecting a single-source contract with Fiber LLC for Park Kirkwood parking sensors and installation in the amount of $102,590 for an initial 12-month term.
Parking technology expert and local resident Matthew Willenbrink testified during public comment that he had been involved with the original deployment and later worked for another parking-technology vendor. Willenbrink told the council that the system’s battery-operated sensors have an expected life of about seven to 10 years and that in his checks “only about 20% of the sensors are functioning” in the city’s app. He urged the council to pause and reevaluate whether to continue with Fiber or pursue a different technical solution.
Several council members, citing constituent contacts and the system’s limited current functionality, opposed the resolution on the council floor. Among the concerns members raised were the system’s poor functionality over the last two years, the cost of the single-source contract and the need to let recent parking-enforcement and employee-parking measures take effect before investing additional funds.
A roll-call vote recorded a majority of “no” votes, and the resolution failed. Councilmembers said they will pursue alternatives, including allowing the new enforcement steps and employee parking program to take effect and exploring other technology vendors and approaches before committing to a new procurement.
