Transaction limit added to city’s parking pass changes

Nov 7, 2023 | 2:00 PM

New regulations will be rolled out in December for purchasing parking passes from the City of Vernon, including a limit per transaction.

At the regular meeting Monday, Nov. 6, Vernon city council was presented with options to change how parking passes are sold in order to make the process more efficient and provide better customer service.

The recommended changes included:

Implementing no refunds or exchanges on monthly parking pass changes, effective December 1, 2023
Implementing a staggered start for the sale of 2024 passes
- Open the sale of 2024 full year parking passes only on Friday, Dec. 1
- Open the sale of monthly parking passes for 2024 on Monday, Dec. 4
Providing one receipt per customer per transaction, even if purchasing multiple annual passes.

The report to council stated the modifications were based on the process used by the City of Penticton to sell their parking passes, and that the changes would not result in any additional cost or work volume.

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After receiving the report, Councillor Brian Quiring inquired as to why, unlike in Penticton, Vernon did not have a transaction limit for parking pass purchases.

“I see in Penticton, you can only buy three parking passes, as opposed to buying for your whole colony, having one person [line up],” Quiring said, adding “It doesn’t seem fair that someone can go and clean it out for all their staff, it just doesn’t seem quite right.”

Vernon’s Manager of Financial Operations, Rena Crosson, responded to the inquiry, saying the city had not considered a limit as it would likely increase the number of people lining up, and that work was ongoing to find online or third party options for sales in 2024 for the 2025 passes.

Debra Law, director of financial services, added only 80 per cent of all available passes are typically sold each year, though she did admit certain lots do sell out.

Quiring responded by saying spaces in the popular lots do get purchased right away, particularly in the downtown core, and measures should be taken to make sure people have the opportunity to buy passes in those locations.

Vernon’s Chief Administrative Officer, Patti Bridal, said there were complaints this past year of people purchasing a dozen parking passes for an individual lot, leaving no passes for the lot in question for the others in line.

“So if we limit it to three, then they can only get three of those preferred spots and will have to go to the back of the line,” Bridal told council.

“It may not limit the line-ups, but it will definitely give everybody more of an opportunity to get preferred parking spots, instead of the person in front buying them all and then you don’t get a chance at it because you’re the third in line.”

Quiring put forward a motion to amend the proposed policy and make it so one person could only buy up to three passes at a time, but that person could then get back in line and purchase more passes.

Councillor Kelly Fehr agreed a three pass per transaction limit seemed like a good idea, and inquired whether there would be any administrative challenges to this policy. Crosson said the only potential challenge would be extra volume, though added they staffing levels are increased on the days when parking passes are sold.

The amendment and the main motion were put to a vote, and both passed unanimously. The change will take effect in December when people go to buy their passes for 2024.

by Liam Verster

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