It's going to cost more next year for Windsor to continue to outsource parking enforcement
CBC
Despite issues hiring and training qualified staff, the Commissionaires will continue to provide parking enforcement services for the City of Windsor after the city opted to renew their contract — and give them a raise — for next year.
Council has approved an extension to the city's contract with the organization, including a six per cent increase for inflation, and four per cent bump that will go to workers, in a bid to help retain staff.
The one-year deal is worth $710,194, and runs from Jan. 1, 2024 to Dec. 31, 2024.
Staff identified some issues with the Commissionaires parking enforcement services in a report, but recommended extending the contract.
"[The report] goes into some great details about how there's some serious challenges with respect to the delivery of parking enforcement services, retention even competency and capacity," said Ward 9 Coun. Kieran McKenzie.
"It also is talking about an increase in the fees for the service."
"I'm a little confused, it goes into detail about the ... number of challenges we're having with this provider but then the recommendation is to continue to work with the Commissionaires and to pay them more to provide a service we're currently unhappy with."
According to a staff report, difficulty recruiting and retaining staff have contributed to erroneous tickets.
Staff said those issues have started to abate, but recommended council approve increases to the contract to help the organization reach "a fully trained and trusted officer on the street."
"This constant turnover reflects negatively to the citizens of the City of Windsor with disputable and erred parking infractions, as the learning curve of an officer is never fully reached," staff wrote in a report.
"In an effort to aid in retaining their staff to reach a fully trained and trusted officer on the street, the supplier has committed to passing the entire requested increase of 4% on to their staff."
During discussion at council, staff said sending parking enforcement out to tender represented a "risk."
"The main issue we have had with the Commissionaires to date is them being able to staff," said Shawna Boakes, the city's executive director of operations.
"Unfortunately that is going to happen no matter where we go."
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