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Council approves $3 administrative mailing fee and amended fine schedule to implement ParkSmart Birmingham reforms
Summary
After hours of debate about enforcement capacity, equity and public notice, the council approved a $3 administrative fee to mail notices for parking tickets over 30 days overdue and passed an amended fine schedule that narrowed proposed $10 increases and set an implementation timeline tied to new enforcement software and outreach.
Birmingham’s administration and public infrastructure leaders told the council on June 2 that two ordinance changes are necessary to finish a multi-year ParkSmart Birmingham parking-reform effort that includes new enforcement software, mailed notices and the ability to escalate unpaid tickets to collections and towing in defined circumstances.
What the ordinances do: The council considered two connected items. Item 10 would add a one-time $3 administrative fee on parking tickets more than 30 days overdue; staff said the fee covers the cost to retrieve mailing addresses from the DMV and print and mail notices so the city can reliably contact violators. Item 11 revises the municipal fine schedule and, in its original form, proposed roughly a $10 increase for many parking violations; staff said fines have not been updated since 2008 and modest increases were recommended to incentivize on-the-street compliance.
Implementation and enforcement: Chief of Public Infrastructure James Fowler and Department of Transportation project manager Paige Ishmael explained the reforms are part of a 12-step plan that includes procurement of software that will stitch together municipal court, police and parking enforcement records. "We don't want to increase the cost of meter use — the $3 and the fine increases are about compliance and the cost of administrative processes," Ishmael said. Staff said the new software will allow enforcement officers to see when a vehicle owner has multiple unpaid tickets and to follow an established escalation protocol (towing eligibility after repeated unpaid violations once systems are aligned).
Council debate: Some councilors, including Councilor Smithman, voiced concern about implementing a higher fine during an ongoing municipal court amnesty month and argued the city should demonstrate enforcement capability before raising fines. Councilors pressed staff for details about the public communications plan; staff said outreach (digital, print, neighborhood flyers and a new website parksmartbhm.com) will run ahead of enforcement and that the software rollout is expected late summer to early fall.
Votes and amendments: After discussion the council voted to adopt item 10 (the $3 administrative mailing fee). For item 11 the council approved the changes with amendments: several proposed $10 increases were limited or reverted to prior amounts where the council requested, and an effective date was set to give staff time to align implementation and education (the council discussed a July 1 effective date for changes). City Attorney Julie Bernard clarified that ordinances legally become effective upon publication but that the council can specify a later effective date where desired.
Why it matters: The changes create the administrative tools to notify violators, begin organized collections for long overdue tickets, and — coupled with real-time software — allow enforcement officers to act on vehicles with multiple unpaid violations. Councilors conditioned their support on robust public outreach and clearer timelines for enforcement and software rollout.
Next steps: Staff will proceed with communications and technical implementation; the council asked for continued updates on outreach and enforcement metrics. The municipal court amnesty period remains in effect through June 30, and staff encouraged residents with outstanding tickets to resolve them through amnesty channels before enforcement begins.
