Rahm Calls For Audit Of Parking Meter Deal
By Chuck Sudo in News on Oct 15, 2012 8:20PM
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office announced today he would have an independent auditor regularly review the city’s parking meter deal with Chicago Parking Meters LLC beginning in November. Emanuel said he wanted to ensure future invoices to the city from CPM are on the level and that the company is in compliance with specific guidelines such as managing the meters and hiring women and minority owned businesses as subcontractors.
The parking meter deal—a gift that keeps on giving—has not been popular with Chicagoans. (That’s as large an understatement as we’ve ever written.) But experts have said there isn’t much the city can do to break the 75-year, $1.15 billion deal approved by former Mayor Richard M. Daley in 2008. And seeing as how Daley tapped much of the money from the deal to help balance his budgets while CPM has billed the city $50 million for revenue lost to unused parking spots and disabled parking placards, gnat-like nuisances like this are one of the few courses of action Emanuel has to keep CPM in check and the bills reasonable.
Emanuel’s administration has put in place best practices such as implementing new computer-based reporting system through 311 requiring advanced notice for all street closures. The Department of Revenue now verifies all changes to the meter system made by City Council, including installing meters, removing meters, changing rates, and changes to hours of operation.
Emanuel also announced regular independent audits of lakefront parking garages and the Skyway concession deal.