Jackson Jambalaya

Tag recognition was well hidden in the release.

Where ya gonna get 2 million dollars in parkers?

Having meters u simply put money into seems way toooo simple.

So in a span of four years, the promised revenue return has gone from $200,000 to $2,000,000, a 900% (?) increase!!!!

Did the old meters ever hit the promised revenue?

How in the world can these new meters promise such an increase in revenue?

I am not opposed to parking meters, traveled to many large cities and used them with ease.

But, I do wonder if Mississippi cities offer enough to justify the expense to consumers.
It probably is less prohibitive for young folks in college towns, but lots of older people avoid parking (read: shopping) in downtown Starkville since they were installed.

April 24, 2024 at 8:56 AM
Lol. Every parking meter I've seen has either been broken or full of change.

Am I getting old? So a couple of years ago the city refused any kind of joint venture to put in parking meters. The city would maintain and collect. 4 years later 60 % of the meters are broken don’t work. Now they have a great idea to bring in someone to manage meters like it the smartest thing the mayor has done. And Jackson keeps voting for him. It’s truly comical.

Love something like Jackson loves getting new meters

More contract steering? How much is Chowke's cut? He does get a cut, right? Chowke, am I right?

The JFD is now going to be charging for emergency responses. Chowke, your radical city is continuing to implode. Right?

Hope it’s not like the parking meters in Oxford- very difficult to read the screen or know how to operate them.

When will people stop parking in the median on capitol street? I guess they never get a ticket.

People should be paid to come to Jackson and park

Good ol’ Jackson. You can pay more, but you can’t get less.

Someone 'bout to GET PAID!

AT the BBB Nashville are some reports that citizens aren't happy!

https://www.bbb.org/us/tn/nashville/profile/parking-facilities/sp-plus-corporation-0573-10322/customer-reviews

Maybe things will go better in Jackson.

April 24, 2024 at 9:33 AM
When Jackson starts ticketing them. So never.

Wow. Now hiring at 14.00 an hour! Only the best!

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/c/SP-Plus-Corporation/Job/Enforcement-Officer/-in-Jackson,MS?jid=88147aecc6dbaff5

From previous reporting, I understand the city plans to implement ~700 meters and "begin" by charging $1/hour.

Generating $2 million /year would require those meters to average paid usage of 8 hours/day (if weekends count) and 11 hours/day if only weeks day (and holidays) count. That mat doesn't account for any subscription/fee-for-service/transaction fee being siphoned off the top.

I'm skeptical any of these meters will be operational in 18 months, but there's no way the city will generate $2 million annually--even if that number accounts for some made-up parking ticket revenue projection.

Does anyone know the contractual structure of this agreement? Can you look into this, KingFish?

I wonder if the City sold all of their rights to the meters to this company for the next 10,20,30,40,50 years and then in return they receive a percentage of the collections.

Would be interesting to see how this contract is structured and what unilateral decision the mayor made on behalf of the city.

It would appear Jackson has contracted with yet another unscrupulous vendor. I wonder if the contract would require city council approval? This will ensure no one ever goes back downtown. I will pay an Uber to drop me off/pick-up from the Federal building when needed.

@9:53 If we learned anything from the garbage fiasco, it's that Chokwe doesn't know what due diligence is or how to do it. That or he knows all he has to do is say the City will get $2 million from these meters and most of his supporters will just take his word for it, no questions asked. So why bother with facts or due diligence?

Zero chance he releases the "actual" revenue these bring in before the 2025 election, because the math isn't mathing. He said $2 million of revenue, but what about associated expenses? Or is that supposed to be the net amount the City will pocket? Seems really high considering SP+ has to be paid something for running the meters too... who is paying for the meters themselves and are we on the hook to pay SP+ a minimum amount should revenues not meet projections?

High-tech meters that will pay for themselves sounds like a good deal, until the new meters don't work. Shades of Siemens?

How is a parking meter going to make more spaces to park?

Something new for the vagrants to break.

churning

sounds like a job for Cool Hand Luke

More smoke and mirrors. An earlier release says the city is replacing 800 meters. Let's use that as a baseline. They also said parking was $1.00 per hour. At a MAXIMUM, 800 meters x 365 days x 24 hours = 7,008,000. So at a buck an hour that's $7,000,000 MAX REVENUE. At 50%, that's $3,500,000 which might, just might net the city the $2,000,000. I would love to see the report because Chokwe is "promising" this revenue. Never going to happen unless they are writing expired meter tickets at huge rates and fees. Total BS, just like the consultants that promise outlandish economic benefits when new stadiums get build on the taxpayer dime.

Is this the Richards Disposal of parking meter's? Another Mayoral kneel to organized crime? Read the BBB review, and this should do fine without any hitch, I'm sure.

Pearl, with revenue generating traffic cams. Jackson charging to put out your fire. Magic parking meters powered by pixie dust.
I'm shocked....shocked,,,, I say!

"“We’re looking at $550 per meter that needs to be replaced. That adds up very quickly” said Sandra Bentil with the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Repair crews are trying to keep up. Sometimes, they can salvage a meter. Other times, they can’t, or it works for a time, and then quits."



https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/foam-sealant-injected-into-st-petersburg-parking-meters-costing-thousands-to-fix/

"ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – Someone in St. Petersburg is taking revenge on dozens of parking meters.

In the past week and a half, the person responsible has damaged 74 meters in the downtown area.

Let’s face it. Nobody likes to pay to park. But apparently somebody is taking their anger out, by injecting sticky, expandable foam into the coin and credit card slots of parking meters."

Coin Metering is safe and equitable.
App Metering opportunes graft and theft by exposing personal data, could even enhance race based billing.

Unless Lil Choke is struck off his ass in an epiphany to arise as Lil Angel, he might source his fairy tale millions by suing his critics of creative metering "for all their worth and not worth".

Coin Metering is at least equitable.
App Metering opportunes graft and theft by exposing personal data, could even enhance race based billing.

Unless Lil Choke is struck off his ass in an epiphany to arise as Lil Angel, he might source his fairy tale millions by suing his critics of creative metering "for all their worth and not worth".

Naturally our little tyrant is putting his ass before the cart. An authentic Mayor would first fix a long list of deficiencies, number one being the mayor himself,and then sell his town to new, genuine businesses before building a revenue plan around diminishing customers parking for diminished businesses.

Are these meters DEI compliant? Is Chowke using "fuzzy math" again?

Could the old meters be used to fill in pot holes?

There was a group in the initial RFP in 2016/2017 that offered no cost for the meters, would install and get paid back from the city using a cost share over three years. Offered the city a beautification allowance but nothing for Chokwe. In the meeting he asked who is bringing this to us, removed it from the list. #AnyoneButAntar2025

this is comical. How fast will these be broken? Also, who is traveling to downtown Jackson to pay to park? You have state workers and who else? Just wasting money.

I definitely want my digital devices to interface with a City run by criminals. And considering the current trend for bots to go back in time, correlating every single bit about us that they can find, I REALLY want digital records of where I've parked - stored to be used for no-telling-what, no-telling-when, until the end of humanity (which is increasingly seeming like it can't come too soon).

Translation:

If you are visiting one of the three liberal law firms left downtown, be prepared to pay to park.

Yep, that sounds about right, 1:59.

maybe just maybe this is where these high tech meters become sentinent and start defending themselves against theft, vandals, etc. etc. Skynet anyone?

It may be easier and cheaper if the Virgii and Stokes would just cut him a check to just sit down, shut up and do nothing "for the city".

If he did not have to spend time force feeding the residents the shady contracts with Richard's and this criminal parking meter enterprise he could he could focus his valuable time on traveling and collecting money for speaking engagements that explain to other cities how he became he best mayore that ever lived.

One thing I can say with 100% certainty is I will never contribute one dime toward the $2 million parking scam.


Will the State or Feds never investigate this clown?

Who still works downtown other than State and Federal employees?

"We are excited to announce this contract with SP Plus but cannot reveal the name of the owner of SP Plus."

Forgot to mention these meters will work only with tokens - No U.S. minted coins. Tokens can be redeemed for cash or credit card at all gas stations in the city.

It's irrelevant that Rukia has a 20 year contract to manufacture the tokens.

Richard's Parking Meters, LLC

Rukia say no!

Socrates Parking Meter Scams LLC. Right? Chowke, am I right?

Nice typo in the press release: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/sp-plus-corporation-to-manage-new-on-street-parking-system-for-the-city-of-jackson-mississippi-1033275824

License plate readers? Sounds suspicious.

So Lumumba surveyed the field of candidates and chose a company that has a 1.02 average rating on a 1-5 scale per the Better Business Bureau website.
This will be another disincentive for people to support downtown business.

Lumumba's standards are all about who helps him and his ring of support. Screw the people.

Because soooooo many people park downtown.

New parking meters to enhance the desirability of downtown Jackson really does beat all.

On another note with all of the apts in the COJ Who were not paying water bills how did the city allow that without shutting them off? Can you check with residents and see if water was added to their rent or were the tenants billed directly by the city?