Jefferson City parking tickets increase 32% under new enforcement system
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Jefferson City has issued about 32% more expired-meter parking tickets this year after hiring a private company to manage the city’s parking operations.
The Jefferson City Council hired PCI Municipal Services last year to take over parking operations and management under a five-year, $4.8 million contract. The change also brought new parking enforcement procedures to the city.
In January, the council approved increasing parking fines from as low as $6 to $25. The new fines went into effect Feb. 1.
The council then voted in August to gradually increase parking rates. Beginning Sept. 1, all hourly metered parking increased to $1 per hour.
Rates will increase each September until 2030, when premium parking spaces (those closest to the Capitol) will cost $2.10 per hour and non-premium spaces will cost $1.10 per hour.
Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, the city reported $186,465 in revenue from expired-meter parking tickets.
The city issued 663 expired-meter tickets in January, generating $8,888 in revenue. In March, the city issued 994 tickets and collected $23,053. The city reported issuing 6,355 expired-meter tickets between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 this year. During the same period last year, the city issued 4,790 tickets.
According to PCI Municipal Services' website, parking ticket appeals must be submitted online at ParkJCMO.com within 21 days of receiving a citation.
PCI's initial proposal to the city called for three full-time and three part-time employees to handle parking operations and enforcement.
Gus Wagner, a Jefferson City resident and owner of The Rocket Group at 101 E. High St., said the new parking fees put Jefferson City in line with other similar-sized communities.
"Our parking fees and parking fines had been so affordable for decades. And this is ... a catch-up to even us out with other communities, not just across Mid-Missouri but across the nation," Wagner said.
Wagner also said he believes there is plenty of available parking in downtown Jefferson City. He noted parking is free after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. Parking in the 100 and 200 blocks of East High Street is also free for 90 minutes.
Jefferson City Ward 2 Councilman Mike Lester said he’s heard downtown business owners complain about the new parking fines.
Lester said some owners have expressed concerns that fewer customers will visit their stores to avoid a parking ticket.
