Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parking Enforcement Pilot topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council asks staff to develop parking‑enforcement pilot using solar 'safety sticks' to curb illegal parking
Summary
Police staff described a proposed one‑year pilot program using solar, camera‑equipped parking enforcement poles to address chronic illegal parking, and council directed staff to develop detailed pilot terms and community outreach for council review.
Sierra Madre police and a private vendor described a proposed one‑year pilot on May 27 to test solar, camera‑equipped parking‑enforcement poles intended to reduce illegal parking in downtown timed spaces and no‑parking zones; council directed staff to develop a pilot plan for council consideration.
Why it matters: The city receives hundreds of parking‑related calls each year, and officers and contracted vendors struggle to maintain consistent enforcement. The proposed devices are intended to improve compliance without new on‑the‑ground staffing.
Presentation and vendor technology: Acting Captain Veronica Tacito told the council the city receives about 250 parking‑related calls annually and has struggled with staffing and contractor costs. Tacito recommended staff negotiate terms with Municipal Parking Services and return with a fully developed one‑year pilot. Joe Caldwell, CEO of Municipal Parking Services, described a solar‑powered “safety stick” that uses radar and a short‑duration camera capture to document time‑limit and no‑parking violations; devices upload time‑stamped plate images and analytics to a cloud platform for city review. Caldwell said the vendor installs and services the poles, handles notice mailings and can operate on a paid‑ticket revenue‑share model; in other jurisdictions the devices have produced large reductions in illegal parking and generated citations automatically for approval by local enforcement.
Council direction and implementation steps: Council members asked about privacy, disabled‑parking exemptions, aesthetics and relocatability. Vendor and staff said images are single still photographs (not continuous video), and the vendor proposed administrative procedures for residents to void tickets where a valid placard or permit applies. Council directed staff to return with a pilot plan that includes site selection, community outreach, operational details and a proposed agreement; no final contract was approved at the meeting.
Next steps: Staff will negotiate pilot terms with the vendor, prepare community outreach materials, and return to the council with a full pilot proposal and cost/revenue estimates for approval.
