Council orders pause on new paid‑parking enforcement after multiple erroneous citations

Riviera Beach city leaders voted unanimously on June 3 to pause enforcement of a newly installed paid‑parking program for the Ocean Mall and Marina lots after multiple residents reported receiving citations in error.

Vice Chair Dr. Glenn Spiritis described receiving a $45 citation for a visit he said did not include parking: "I was in Jupiter having lunch ... they sent me a $45 fine with a photo of my car going into the lot and a photo of my car leaving the lot, but there's no photo of my car being parked," he told the council. Other residents reported similar issues and said the system was unfair to elderly visitors and problematic for vehicles with disability placards.

Council members discussed legal and operational risks, including possible violations involving handicap‑space enforcement. The mayor and interim city manager supported a temporary pause to allow the vendor to "cure" the system defects and to prevent further unjust citations.

The council asked staff to suspend citation issuance immediately, to request a vendor briefing for the council, to report back with a corrective plan and to provide biweekly updates. The city attorney was asked to research whether the city may seek reimbursement from the vendor for incorrectly issued fines and to prepare guidance on refunds for impacted residents.

The pause will remain in effect until staff confirms the vendor has corrected the issues; staff also will return with a recommended process for handling affected customers and any required reimbursements.