People who use the parking garages in downtown Syracuse will be seeing some changes, thanks to actions taken by the Common Council Monday. Lawmakers agreed to change the way some garages take your fees, as well as the way security is provided. Director of Operations Cory Driscoll Dunham explains what might be different after the installation of some new technologies.
“Revenue control equipment, which would allow for the use of greater automation and credit card use, not exclusively credit card use cash will always be a possibility for use in our garages, but it does offer that,” said Driscoll Dunham.
She continued, “And also upgrades to the closed-circuit security system that we have in the garages which would greatly reduce our labor costs. About half a million dollars that we would save on physical security that really we could accomplish the same goals, I think even better through closed circuit security.“
The council also approved almost three-quarters of a million dollars in structural improvements to garages. Those repairs will cause the city to borrow, though the technology upgrades can be paid for with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act.
In other council action, Lawmakers approved a measure asking for more input into arbitration over the disputed Syracuse Police contract. And finally, they signed off on measures to pay for youth summer employment through Jubilee Homes and Onondaga Earth Corps. The jobs give kids something constructive to do, build job skills, while helping provide healthy food, and cleaning up parks and streets.
