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Home My WebLink About12 - Parking Citation Issuance Handhelds & Management SoftwareCITY OF NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT Agenda Item No. 12 April 12, 2005 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Administrative Services Department Dennis Danner, Director, (949) 644 -3123 ddanner@city.newport-beach.ca.us SUBJECT: Parking Citation Issuance Handhelds and Management Software ISSUE: Should the City purchase upgraded automated parking citation devices (handhelds) at a cost of $48,106 from Enforcement Technology and parking citation processing software from Electronic Data Collection Corporation (EDC) for a cost of $67,400? Equipment and procedural changes proposed by this report deal with the operation and administration of the City's parking citation program. Operational aspects of the program fall primarily within the purview of the Police Department, while the administrative aspects of the program involve both the Police Department and the Administrative Services Department. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the City Council authorize the purchase of handhelds from Enforcement Technology and the Automated Issuance /Management System software from EDC. Salary savings in the Administrative Services and Police Departments would be used to fund these two purchases. DISCUSSION: Background: California Vehicle Code (CVC) regulates the enforcement, processing, and adjudication of parking violations. In 1993, state law (AB 408) decriminalized parking violations and shifted the responsibility for processing and adjudicating parking violations from the courts to municipalities. The City annually issues and processes approximately 75,000 parking citations, and estimates collecting $2.2 million in parking fines this year. Parking Citation Handhelds & Processing Software April 12, 2005 Page 2 Handheld Citation Writers: The Police Department has been using handhelds for the production of parking citations since the 1980's, and the devices currently in use have been in service for the past seven years. These devices have served the organization well during this time, but they are in need of replacement. They are slow to process citations and somewhat heavy. They require a shoulder strap to accommodate extended use. In recent years, the weight and size of automated devices has reduced considerably. At the same time, their speed, and ability to report, track, and transfer data more efficiently has increased. We have contacted multiple vendors of such devices, and we are recommending the purchase of Enforcement Technology Incorporated's product. They have provided a price quote for thirteen handhelds that is attached for reference. It totals $48,106. We are recommending this particular product because it is the only one that offers durability and reliability in a one -piece device. Several other devices were reviewed, but for various reasons this product is the one that fits best. Cost differential was a relatively minor consideration, since it was not substantial in most cases. The devices currently in use were purchased from the same vendor. Our employees will require only minimal transition time to the new equipment since they are already familiar with many of its features. Citation Processing Software: Following issuance of a parking citation, the processing of parking citations is administered by the Administrative Services Department. Newport Beach was one of very few cities statewide to begin processing the parking citations it issues prior to 1993 state mandate. The CVC imposes very specific requirements for municipalities in the processing of parking violations, and City MIS staff developed our own computer software system to facilitate the processing in 1987. From 1987 to 2003, parking violations were processed on the internally developed software system. Computer hardware changes in 2003 forced the abandonment of that software system and a conversion was made to a new parking citation processing system developed by Pentamation, which provides the City with many of its financial software systems. After thirteen months of efforts to make the Pentamation system work, it proved to be inadequate for the volume of citations, CVC requirements, and complexities of the City's processing needs. Operating on a failing Pentamation system and the anticipation of a summer season of parking citations ahead, in March of 2004 the management system was again converted, this time to Data Ticket. Data Ticket is a vendor that has been providing the City parking citation processing services (Department of Motor Vehicle and Franchise Tax Board interfaces) since 1993. For the last year the City has used Data Ticket's processing software, maintained offsite and accessed remotely via a Web based interface. The Data Ticket system has been adequate for our processing needs. However, interfacing and staying in sync with an off -site system has created a new set of challenges. This system has also proven to be expensive and its service limited to the processing of parking citations. In June of last year Administrative Services staff began Parking Citation Handhelds & Processing Software April 12, 2005 Page 3 reviewing options to the Data Ticket system and more than a dozen vendors of software systems and processing services have been investigated. Staff conducted in -depth analysis and comparison of systems from six vendors (Data Ticket, Cardinal Tracking, Enforcement Technology, T2 Systems, Phoenix Group & EDC) whose systems appeared to include the required functions. With sixteen years of experience in developing its own software system and two painful conversions to inadequate systems within the last two years, staffs list of requirements for a new system were in excess of the products offered by most vendors. One company, Electronic Data Collection Corporation (EDC), produces a software system, Automated Issuance /Management System (AIMS), which exceeds staffs expectations in a number of areas. AIMS meets all the requirements staff has for processing parking violations, including on -site management of the data and no unit charges. It also provides the ability to perform services we had not been seeking, including the recordation and processing of City issued parking permits, and associating City issued permits with parking citations. In addition, the AIMS system provides the ability to process a number of other fines, penalties, and permits currently processed in an obsolete Pentamation software system which is no longer supported by Pentamation. Specifically, the AIMS system would enable consolidation of the following functions from three different computer software systems: Administrative Citations Jail Booking Fees Alarm Permits Disturbance Advisement Fines False Alarm Fines Emergency Response Fees. The cost for processing parking citations with the current vendor, Data Ticket, is based on the number of citations processed and is approximately $128,000 annually. The other five vendors sell their systems, thus eliminating the per citation charges, and the purchase prices for their systems range from $55,000 to $86,000. The AIMS system cost is $67,400, which includes the first year support and maintenance charge. Staff believes the AIMS system cost is reasonable for a parking citation processing system — an excellent value given its ability to process permits, other penalties, and fines. EDC has also indicated the ability to immediately commence installation and training which should provide for a conversion to AIMS before the peak season for parking citation processing begins in June. The AIMS processing system and Enforcement Technology's handhelds are compatible. Parking Citation Handhelds & Processing Software April 12, 2005 Page 4 Environmental Review: None required. Funding Availability: As authorized by Council Policy F -3, the City Manager has approved the use of available current year salary savings to purchase this system. Alternatives: The City could continue to issue parking citations with the existing handhelds and process parking citations with the existing vendor at a greater cost to the City. Prepare y: Gle rroad, Revehue Manager Submitted by: Dennis Danner, Administrative Services Director Submitted by: Bob McDonell, Chief of Police