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REGULAR MEETING October 10, 2016 <br />The Office of the City Clerk will work in collaboration with stakeholders, City Departments, and <br />DTSB to determine a mutually convenient day and approach. Amnesty day will be advertised <br />through press releases, City websites, and the current City Clerk's distribution list and social <br />media. We don't have anything for projected revenue but other cities have been very successful. <br />For example, Chicago saw a forty percent (40 %) increase in collections and during their two (2) <br />week amnesty period they collected $7 million but that was all code violations. If amnesty day is <br />successful we can look towards doing this for all tickets but right now we are just starting with <br />parking tickets. <br />Councilmember Davis asked how much we are currently collecting through the garages. <br />Mr. Perri responded we currently receive about $1.2 million annually. <br />Councilmember Davis asked how much we are off from breaking even. <br />Mr. Perri responded we are on budget but that is with a big subsidy from the City. These changes <br />would bring in an estimated $213,000 for the garage. <br />Councilmember Davis asked where the money goes for the parking fines. <br />Mr. Perri responded it also goes into the garage fund. <br />Councilmember Davis stated now that we have the BMV access to do better on collections, we <br />can make that $213,000 from the fines. With the collection program in place, if we can boost our <br />collections to say sixty percent (60 %) we would have enough to cover all of the capital funds <br />plus have extra monies and at this section given the fact that we are about to vote on raises for <br />utilities, raises for water, raise for sewer, raises for everything else when we can look at having a <br />better collection program in place then we don't necessarily, even though it's been eight (8) <br />years, this is something we don't have to put on the people of South Bend. We have already met <br />our budget and need $213,000 in capital and we can collect all of that money and even have a <br />surplus with the issue of having a better collection process so therefore there is no need to have <br />more monies raised from the people of South Bend. <br />Mr. Perri responded that the amount of capital needs far exceeds the $213,000. <br />Councilmember Davis stated he needs dollars. He asked for a firm dollar amount that we need to <br />raise not just "far exceeds ". He stated in his mathematical brain, he came to the determination <br />that if we had a better collection system based on what our capital expenses are we could make <br />that. If we need say an extra $50,000 we can cut some of the raises and maybe go up $5 for the <br />fee instead of $10. He stated he has a concern that just because we haven't raised fines in eight <br />(8) years doesn't mean we should. He asked earlier with Councilmember White that we need a <br />list of all these raises and he has a concern of having all these things come up piece by piece to <br />the people of South Bend and we can be creative enough to get all of our capital needs met <br />without having to do that. <br />Mr. Perri responded there is a lot to follow here but he will stick with the parking topic. <br />Councilmember Davis stated Mr. Perri just said they all go together. <br />Mr. Perri responded he did some quick math that the gross revenue potential even if we collected <br />one hundred percent (100 %) of tickets issued would be $276,000. Remember we are doing some <br />changes in terms of offering a free ticket and things of that nature. <br />Councilmember Davis asked when Mr. Perri put these figures together did they factor a higher <br />rate of collections. He stated the exact dollar amount we can deal with that later on but to his <br />knowledge what he received today does factor in the higher rates of collection. We have only <br />had that access for the last few months and during that time we have done really well. If we <br />really push forward we can do better for collections. <br />Mr. Perri responded that is a thought to consider but even if we got one - hundred percent (100 %) <br />of the fees and did the fee increases we talked about today, which are off - settled by some of the <br />decreases, the gross revenue potential isn't even $500,000 annually and we've got over $4.75 <br />million worth of deferred capital needs. We still have to subsidize this from somewhere. <br />10 <br />