City mulls outsourcing delinquent parking ticket collections

KINGSTON, N.Y. » City aldermen are considering amending a contract Kingston has with a parking service company to allow severely delinquent parking tickets to be outsourced to a third party for collections.

The Common Council’s Finance and Audit Committee discussed three parking-related agenda items during a meeting Monday. One of those items would allow the city to amend its contract with Complus to allow that agency to outsource severely delinquent parking tickets to Capital Recovery Systems Inc. for collection. Capital Recovery Systems would receive 23 percent of any collected amounts it recovers for the city.

“The city currently sends four notices to parking violators, including a final notice,” city Comptroller John Tuey said in a letter to Common Council President James Noble. He said those efforts, along with the city’s Boot and Tow Law and the state Department of Motor Vehicle Scofflaw program, “have been relatively effective in supporting the parking ticket collection rate, but the city still has a significant accounts receivable.” Tuey said the collection rate could be improved by allowing Complus to refer severely delinquent tickets to a third party.

The proposed contract amendment was adopted by the committee, but still must go to the full council for approval. The council meets again March 6.

The committee also considered, and approved, a formal parking ticket collection policy for the city.

Tuey on Friday said the policy formalizes the practices that are already happening. He also said, though, it includes a requirement for his office to provide periodically a report to the council on outstanding parking tickets.

A third parking matter aldermen are considering is a change to its Boot and Tow Law, but no action was taken Monday.

In his letter to Noble, Tuey said he would like to improve the usefulness of the law by linking it to the registered owner of a vehicle, rather than the vehicle itself. He said he would like the law to be amended to read, “The chief of police, comptroller, or designee, hereby is authorized to provide for the immobilization of vehicles of a registered owner against which three or more parking summonses have been issued.”