Town officials on Tuesday voted in favor of entering two contracts with a Moorestown, N.J.-based company, worth nearly $50,000 combined, for new parking machines.
The New Canaan Train Station. Credit: Michael Dinan
The Parkeon machines—two for the Talmadge Hill Train Station lot ($19,790 total) and three for the Elm Street lot downtown ($29,440)—collect monies that then go into standalone parking funds.
Specifically, Parking Superintendent Stacy Miltenberg told members of the Board of Selectmen at their regular meeting, funds collected at Elm Street go into a “Railroad Fund” that’s used maintain the 2.7-acre state-owned property around the tracks. Talmadge Hill is owned by the town, and revenues collected there go into a parking fund, she said in response to a question posed by Selectman Kit Devereaux.
The machines themselves need replacement because they’ve “reached their lifespan,” Miltenberg said during the meeting, held at Town Hall.
“They are over 10 years old and they are starting to malfunction, so instead of putting replacement parts—which are costly—into old machines, we are requesting to replace those machines with new ones,” Miltenberg said.
Devereaux, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and Selectman Nick Williams voted 3-0 in favor of the contracts.
Miltenberg added that each machine includes a $45 monthly management fee for Parkeon for “back-office services.”
Why are we paying for machines at the Elm Street lot when they go for maintenance of state owned property? What am I missing? Should not the state pay this?
Good question. The new parking machines at the New Canaan aka Elm Street train station machines are being paid for out of the Railroad Fund (that is the state fund which receives the revenue from the meters on the state owned parking lot); the machines for Talmadge Hill are be paid out of the Parking Fund (from town revenue as there is no state fund with respect to the Talmadge Hill parking lot). Town officials investigated whether the funds from the state’s Railroad fund could also cover the Talmadge Hill machines but it was a “no go”. I hope this answers your question.
Thanks Keith. Got it.
Roy:
Why not, they pay for everything thing else at the cost of bankruptcy.
The real issue in this town is parking. Build the lot! Everyone benefits..retail especially! The need is urgent and it’s long overdue.
This should be priority number one on the first selectman’s agenda.