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Blowing Rock council approves hiring parking ambassadors, schedules June 10 hearing on ordinance and Passport contract
Summary
Council approved hiring two part‑time parking ambassadors and set a June 10 public hearing to consider contracting with Passport Parking and proposed ordinance changes (time limits, signage, fee structure). Staff provided cost estimates: $2,600 equipment, $1,000/month software, Passport collection fees on delinquent tickets.
The Blowing Rock Town Council voted to hire two part‑time parking enforcement staff and to schedule a public hearing on June 10 to consider contracting with Passport Parking and proposed changes to the town’s parking ordinance.
Chief Nathan Kirk presented a package of recommendations from a consultant and town staff, including shortening on‑street time limits on Main Street and Sunset Drive (from three hours to two), converting some locations to monitored parking, encouraging employees to use parking decks, year‑round enforcement instead of seasonal patrols, and transferring parking enforcement duties from sworn officers to civilian personnel led by telecommunicator supervisor Cassandra Reed. Kirk said the town issued roughly 450 parking citations last year and described Passport as a vendor that would provide citation printing, QR codes for payments and delinquent‑notice services.
Kirk presented estimated costs for implementing Passport: about $2,600 in upfront costs for handheld printers and supplies and a $1,000 monthly software/processing fee. Passport would also keep a percentage on delinquent collections (described in meeting material as roughly 30% of the delinquent amount) and card processing fees (about 2.95% plus $0.25 per transaction). The town would still be responsible for signage (staff estimated signage at under $1,000 for Main Street/Sunset Park directional signs) and for tailoring citation language to align with town code.
During public comment, resident Sandy Hogan urged the council to pursue long‑term parking solutions, including revenue bonds to build a parking garage and cited an informal estimate that modest hourly parking charges could generate substantial revenue for the town.
Council members debated whether to approve the Passport contract that night or to move forward incrementally. Legal counsel advised that changes to the parking ordinance require a public hearing; staff recommended returning on June 10 to hold that hearing and consider contracting with Passport as part of the ordinance change discussion. The council approved hiring the part‑time parking ambassadors immediately (funding for handhelds was said to be available in the chief’s budget) and unanimously approved placing a public hearing on the June 10 agenda to discuss Passport and ordinance changes.
Next steps: staff will move forward with recruitment for the parking ambassador positions, prepare detailed Passport scope/benefit documentation for council review, and return with ordinance language and signage plans for the June 10 public hearing.
