Passing on the pricier idea of managing downtown’s parking options in-house, the City of Wilmington is recommending a private contractor’s service for $1 million-plus a year.
On Tuesday, Wilmington City Council will consider awarding a three-year contract to Lanier Parking Meter Services–the current vendor handling the work, and the only one to submit a proposal this time–covered by enterprise funds in the city’s respective parking and Wilmington Convention Center budgets.
The contract work would include “the comprehensive administration of the on-street and off-street parking” in the city system and the daily management of the Wilmington Convention Center parking deck, City Manager Sterling Cheatham explained in a memo to council.
The scope includes parking enforcement and citation management.
As proposed, the first year of the contract for on- and off-street parking would run Feb. 1, 2014 through Jan. 31, 2015 for $1.09 million, paid for by enterprise funds. The subsequent two years would cost $1.13 million and $1.16 million, respectively.
The contract identifies 10 off-street facilities, including the parking decks on Market, Second and Water streets; the Hannah Block parking lot near Second and Orange streets; and the Wilmington City Hall parking lot off Chestnut Street.
It also notes 760 parking meters.
At the convention center deck, year one would cost $40,634 plus an hourly event fee of $61.28; year two, $41,752 plus an hourly event fee of $62.97; year three, running out Jan. 31, 2017, would cost $42,900 plus an hourly fee of $64.70.
The city studied the merits of handling it all in-house, Cheatham said, but determined–with third-party verification–that such would increase parking operational costs by 50 percent, or about $600,000 more per year, next to Lanier’s proposal.
A bulletin from the city said Lanier, a national company, has performed well in its current local services over the years.
One year ago, the city extended a contract with the company for management of the Water Street parking deck downtown on a month-to-month basis.
Past story: Lanier agreement extended for Water Street deck
Wilmington City Council’s Tuesday meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Wilmington City Hall, 102 N. Third ST.
