To the Editor,
There has been much confusion and misinformation regarding multi-space meters in the village of Mamaroneck. I am writing to correct the record.
I serve as a liaison to the Parking Advisory Committee, a group of village residents and merchants created by the Board of Trustees to advise people on parking in the central business district. I am the only village trustee who has attended every committee meeting and am most familiar with its deliberations and decisions.
This committee met on Nov. 19 and unanimously recommended the installation of multi-space meters in certain parking lots off Mamaroneck Avenue.
All six committee members also favored trying a pilot installation of meters on Mamaroneck Avenue from two competing meter vendors, but did not agree on how to run the pilot. Three of the six members strongly favored the inclusion of multi-space meters, and two of the six strongly favored limiting the pilot installation to single-space meters.
It has been alleged that the Board of Trustees overruled the committee’s “recommendation” for this pilot, when there was neither a recommendation nor a consensus, and there is no evidence that a consensus would have been reached at the committee’s next scheduled meeting in January.
Thus, at its Dec. 21 meeting, acting on its judgment after considering the committee’s discussions, the Board of Trustees approved the installation of multi-space meters for certain parking lots off Mamaroneck Avenue and a pilot installation of both multi-space and single-space meters on Mamaroneck Avenue.
It is important to note that the pilot installation will allow for the collection of hard data on revenues, operating costs, reliability and soft data (e.g. anecdotal) on user experience. If the Parking Advisory Committee and/or the board deem it helpful, the anecdotal feedback could be followed up with a more rigorous and reliable survey to collect and analyze consumer and merchant feedback based on actual field experience.
The decision to proceed with the pilot installation was made by a majority of the board at a public meeting, preceded by a discussion by the board at a work session. There was nothing questionable about our process, only disagreement with the decisions.
The minority of the board is free to disagree with the majority and publicize its disagreements, but it shouldn’t mislead the public. Public discourse would be greatly enhanced if the minority of the board did not resort to such tactics in order to win over public support for its positions.
Leon Potok,
Trustee of the village of Mamaroneck
