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Nogales staff say parking meters are aging; vendor interest spotty, credit‑card and camera‑enabled meters considered
Summary
Police and parking staff told council existing meters are outdated and costly to maintain; a national vendor failed to follow up and a local vendor has offered to present. Staff discussed revenue sharing, credit‑card payments and enforcement time limits.
Chief Jimenez briefed the council on the city’s aging parking‑meter fleet and efforts to identify a vendor to replace or manage meters.
Jimenez said the city is replacing 20–30% of meters per year because many are not cost‑effective to maintain. Municipal Parking Services, a vendor previously invited to present in November, did not follow up; Jimenez said the company likely concluded the business opportunity was not attractive. A local vendor has expressed interest and will be scheduled to present.
Council members asked whether vendor arrangements typically operate on a revenue‑share basis and whether the new meters would accept credit cards or city‑issued debit cards. Jimenez said modern meters typically support card payments, app payments and remote extension of time; enforcement policies (for example, whether a meter can be topped up remotely to avoid a ticket) would be negotiated in any vendor agreement and could be limited by council direction. He also noted next‑step equipment could include camera capability to record violations or incidents within a metered space.
On enforcement, Jimenez confirmed the council’s previous pause on meter enforcement had ended the prior Sunday and enforcement has resumed; staff said they will be lenient for drivers who may not have noticed the resumption.
Why it matters: Replacing analog meters with modern, digital devices affects revenue, enforcement and customer experience; vendor terms such as revenue share, payment options and camera capabilities will shape implementation and public reaction.
