Politics & Government

Document: Port Chester's Parking Meter Plan

While police investigate skimmed cash from Port Chester's parking meters, village government is figuring out its next steps. The .pdf file details Port Chester's plan.

As police put together a case against public employees who allegedly dipped into parking meter collections, Port Chester's government is taking another look at how to handle parking in the long-term.

A .pdf document released by village hall details the options and provides a run-down of the most pressing needs, now that parking meter collectors have been pulled from their usual duties and police are overseeing the work.

The needs are clear-cut: the village needs honest employees collecting the money in the interim, and it needs to balance its books.

Find out what's happening in Port Chesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

How much money went missing? The report doesn't say, but it does acknowledge "approximately 50 percent of meters had mechanical or security problems, which are being corrected."

Over the long-term, officials are looking at systematic changes to the process. They'll weigh the benefits -- and drawbacks -- of using in-house collectors or contracting with an outside agency. And they want to remove any opportunity for their own employees to steal by splitting collection duties among several staffers or departments.

Find out what's happening in Port Chesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At Monday's board meeting, Village Manager Christopher Russo told the board only two or three people were tasked with collecting the money under the old system, and collections were counted in a municipal garage.

In an e-mail, Mayor Dennis Pilla said he wants residents to know the village's response won't be limited to an investigation and potential disciplinary actions -- it'll be a complete rehaul of the way parking is handled.

"I think it is important to emphasize we are taking a two-phased approach," Pilla wrote.

For the next four months, Central Parking System will step in as Port Chester's temporary change-handlers as detectives wrap up their investigation.

In the meantime, the public will get a chance to weigh in on the matter at the Aug. 23 board meeting.


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