Council approves new hardware and third‑party manager for Right Street parking deck

Auburn’s City Council on July 8 approved two contracts to replace malfunctioning pay‑station equipment at the Right Street parking deck and to hire an outside manager to operate and service the facility.

City staff presented the contracts as a response to repeated kiosk and gate failures at the downtown deck that have led to frequent calls for help and lost parking revenue. The council approved a contract with Flash Parking for new parking access and revenue control system hardware and software at a one‑time cost of $147,267.60 and a separate management services agreement with LAZ Parking Georgia LLC for $8,000 per month plus a non‑guaranteed annual incentive fee tied to revenue.

Council members and staff said the existing system produced frequent equipment failures and that the city’s staff were spending significant time troubleshooting game‑day operations and daily maintenance. Staff explained the Flash contract covers new hardware, installation, and a software platform; the Flash contract term is one year with two one‑year renewal options. Under the vendor payment schedule described to the council, the one‑time equipment cost is split across ordering and delivery milestones, with a final 10% payment due once the system is operational. Ongoing software and licensing support was described separately as a monthly fee (discussed in work sessions as approximately $600/month).

Staff told the council there is a 24‑month limited warranty on hardware covering defects but not vandalism or misuse; parts and vandalism repairs beyond that warranty would be the city’s responsibility. For software downtime the contract includes a service‑level remedy allowing fee credits if uptime standards are not met; contract language provided for refund credits and, in some cases, the right to cancel. Council members asked whether the contract specifies explicit hardware response times; staff said the software response and refund terms are spelled out in the agreement, while specific guaranteed hardware dispatch times are limited to warranty and repair provisions and typical parts lead times for replacements.

The LAZ Parking management agreement covers day‑to‑day on‑site operations, routine maintenance, game‑day staffing, and troubleshooting. The initial LAZ term is one year with two one‑year renewal options; the agreement includes a 3% annual escalation and a 10% incentive fee based on current‑year gross parking revenue above a base threshold of $535,000. Staff said LAZ maintains inventory of common replacement parts (a “care kit”) on site and will respond physically to equipment failures, reducing calls to the city’s nonemergency line and freeing city staff for other duties. Council members said the cost of both agreements is expected to be offset by captured revenue and reduced staff overtime, though the parking deck carries outstanding debt service as part of downtown infrastructure.

Council members moved and seconded both items, and each motion passed on voice votes.