The Butte-Silver Bow Parking Commission, which just a year ago had unreliable software, corrupt data and still issued hand-written tickets, has increased collection rates and made other significant progress, its outgoing director said Wednesday.
Stephanie Marshall, who is taking a new job with the Montana Department of Transportation, also floated recommendations that the three-person, stand-alone department be folded within others in local government to improve efficiencies and long-term planning.
She also told the parking board - and a few hours later the Council of Commissioners – that moving patrols for parked trailers on the street to the Community Enrichment Department and all other functions to Community Development were logical next steps to improving parking enforcement.
“We have had a big year, we have made a lot of positive change,” Marshall told her board members Wednesday afternoon. “We are set up to move forward.”
Chief Executive Matt Vincent and department leaders said Marshall brought the recommendations to them and they fully support them.
The parking board voted to “support the recommendations in principle” while reserving a final OK, and regardless, the Council of Commissioners would have to sign off on the plans, officials said.
“It is taking advantage of existing management and administrative resources we have,” Vincent said.
Marshall has only been on the job 11 months, and because of fiscal and other problems that had plagued the parking department for years, she was given a year to turn things around.