Lack of cell service downtown may make parking phone app use difficult

The Prescott City Council held a workshop Monday, Jan. 23 to talk about paid parking options in the downtown area.

After an hourlong discussion on revenue possibilities exceeding $100,000 annually by installing digital meters where users can use a phone app to pay to park, staff was sent back to the drawing board to consider all options. One problem pointed out was that phone apps may not work downtown because of poor cell phone reception in the area.

Prescott residents have been bemoaning the problems with Verizon phone service, due to the lack of a local tower. T-Mobile and AT& T both rent space on city water towers to make their signals stronger in the community. City Administrator Matt Wolf said that Verizon has balked at a similar space rental deal with the city.

On nights and weekends, parking in downtown Prescott is always at a premium, drawing complaints from residents and businesses. Another big problem is people parking downtown in the summer and walking to the beach at Point Douglas Park across the bridge in Minnesota, where patrons pay for parking.

Under the initial plan presented at the meeting by City Planner Carter Hayes, pay meters would be installed along Broad Street, on Orange Street, in the parking lot behind the Holiday station, in the parking lot on Orange Street and in public lots along the riverfront. A pay station would be installed at each space. Drivers would pay at the meter, either with cash, a payment card or using a phone app. The meters would be purchased from IPS Group, which projected the city could profit up to $15,000 per month for the meters at about 50 percent occupancy.

Downtown employees, who have been blamed for parking in prime spots, would be able to buy permits in parking lots at a reduced rate to keep their vehicles off Broad Street. Resident parking would be free, and they’d have to register their vehicles either on a website or at city hall.

With the meters, a red light flashes if time is expired. More money can be put in the meter to extend time, or patrons can do it on a phone app.

The city doesn’t intend to hire someone for parking compliance, though the meters can take pictures of license plates when time expires.

“I think enforcement is the biggest issue,” said Alderperson Maureen Otwell.

Police Chief Eric Michaels was asked about the possibility of issuing tickets based on the plate pictures. He said he didn’t believe that to be legal in Wisconsin.

“Can they do automated enforcement?” asked Alderperson John Peterson.

Michaels said Wisconsin doesn’t allow traffic cameras like other states.

“In Wisconsin you can’t do that. I don’t know if this would be the same,” he said. “But if we went down and saw the meter was ‘red’, the picture can be evidence for a citation.”

Alderpersons stressed that the process, if implemented, has to be simple for residents. Thomas Oss said some people don’t have the ability to go online and upload pictures proving vehicle ownership and two forms of identification.

“Is there a workaround so they can come downtown and not have to worry about it? I know people who will never go downtown if they have to do that,” he said.

Hayes said they’d have to stop at city hall. “We can sign them up in minutes at city hall. They can come in, and we can do it for them,” he said.

It was also suggested that staff could attend senior citizen meetings and do outreach at other spots to sign up resident vehicles.

“That’s a good thing to bring up Tom,” said Alderperson Bailey Ruona, who ran the meeting in the absence of Mayor Rob Daugherty. “We can find solutions.”

Prescott Area Chamber of Commerce Director Casey Johnson brought up the problem with Verizon cell service downtown.

“As a Verizon customer, I don’t know how I’m going to pay for it,” she said. “That’s something to consider.”

Todd London, who owns a vacation rental downtown, said that a committee looked at parking options a few years back when the parking lot behind the Holiday station was developed.

He said that group decided against meters at that time, especially if enforcement isn’t part of the plan.

“If you’re not giving out tickets, everybody knows it,” he said.

The meters also cause problems with snow removal and breakdown often.

He said that group studied eight different options to solve the parking problem.

City staff will now study some more of them.

“I think we should look at everything again,” said Peterson.

Another council workshop will be held in the near future to explore their findings.