ELORA – Centre Wellington will use Alpha Technology Systems Inc. to provide parking enforcement again this summer.
And rather than have the county administer parking tickets, township staff will take over parking administration services for all of Wellington County.
Township treasurer Adam McNabb told council on April 15 there are potential cost savings for the township by taking on the administrative role.
And since the majority of parking tickets the county has been processing come from Centre Wellington, the county is also open to the change.
The township has used Alpha for its parking enforcement since 2021. Part of the contract includes using the company’s ParkSmart software, which the township has invested in.
The long-term goal is to transition from provincial offences to an administrative monetary penalty system for the entire county.
And the ParkSmart software system “has been designed to accommodate this transition, providing the requisite functionality to accommodate both the scale and scope desired by the township for future use,” reads the report.
The cost of the Alpha contract is $6,000 for annual licensing of the ParkSmart program, $114,000 for enforcement (May to October), and $4,500 in administrative “hard costs,” for a total of $124,500.
The township has spent about $35,000 configuring the ParkSmart system over three years.
Council hesitated to approve this change since the parking strategy is not complete.
“We can look at this as a test program from May to December,” Mayor Shawn Watters said in answer to those concerns, adding that 90% of the tickets were generated in Centre Wellington.
“We purchased the software, and the county made the money. If we carry the cost of running it, we hope to make some money.”
McNabb couldn’t say for sure how much the township stands to gain from the change, but assured council there is staff capacity to take on the task.
“We believe the revenue will offset the cost,” he said.
Councillors Bronwynne Wilton and Jennifer Adams were not convinced the township would benefit by taking over administration of parking tickets and voted against the motion.
But with the rest of council in favour, the motion passed.
