A Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based parking meter company pitched to Starkville aldermen at their Tuesday meeting the installation of about 45 meters for less than $50,000 in the Cotton District.
CivicSmart has a presence in more than 1,500 cities and just entered a contract with Jackson, president and CEO Mike Nickolaus said. The proposed 45 meters would cover 406 spaces, mostly on University Drive and Russell Street, and take a variety of forms of payment from credit and debit cards to several mobile apps, he said.
Not every parking space needs a parking meter, especially on narrow streets that only have a few spaces, Nickolaus said.
“Having a small-footprint meter that covers multiple spaces so you can put it in without being too intrusive (is right for) a lot of those areas,” he told The Dispatch.
The city could adjust the rates and time limits on the parking meters so it can generate more money when the area is more crowded, such as Mississippi State University football game days, Nickolaus said.
Having a few open parking spaces on a street at all times is evidence that a city has set the right prices and time limits because it means people are aware they cannot park without payment or consequences, he said.
Those open spaces encourage people to visit areas they would otherwise avoid if they cannot find a place to park, and “there really is no such thing as free parking,” Ward 2 Alderman Sandra Sistrunk told The Dispatch.
The board heard from two other potential vendors, SP+ Parking Management Group and IPS Group, at work sessions last summer. Mayor Lynn Spruill said the Cotton District needs parking meters to encourage turnover and create more business at restaurants.
“What’s happening now is that kids are parking there all day because they’re going to class and they’re not having to pay for parking on campus, so they’re taking up all the retail and restaurant spaces,” Spruill said.
The city has not used parking meters in more than two decades.
In other business, aldermen reappointed Wesley Gordon to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees. Gordon was first appointed in July 2019 to finish an unexpired term and will now serve a full five-year term.
He was the only applicant for the position this year.
Additionally, the board’s consent agenda included a bid for the construction of grading, drainage and utility infrastructure for sports fields at Cornerstone Park. Clarksdale-based SB Construction’s bid of $3.9 million for a 210-day contract was not the lowest but was the best and “most responsible” bid, Spruill told The Dispatch.
Tess Vrbin was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.