Parking permit revenues fall short of projections

Revenue estimates for the 2011-2012 fiscal year from the new MHCC parking permit system have dropped from $626,900 to roughly $450,000.

Finance Director Jennifer DeMent initially delivered this message to the district board Nov. 9 in her monthly financial report.

As of Thursday morning, the gross revenue generated so far is $140,000, of which $9,824 was generated from day passes sold. . This is 31 percent of the total annual estimated revenue and 68 percent of the estimated term revenue, DeMent said Thursday morning.

Initial revenue estimates were based on 80 percent of students purchasing term or annual permits, with the 80 percent coming from the previous year’s unduplicated enrollment. The current number of permits sold is 4,453.

“The estimates came from last year’s enrollment, which was the highest ever. We’re totally not at 80 percent; we’re looking at about 46 percent,” said DeMent of the current permits bought.

Implementation of the program cost the school $200,000, which, according to DeMent, was more than projected due to the change in day permit machines. The machines were originally to be old machines from Portland State University, but since those were not ready in time, new machines had to be purchased.

“Students seem to be going to extra effort to not buy parking permits,” said DeMent, adding that 17th Street west of campus is full of student cars.
She also said that both Albertson’s and Regal Cinemas have observed cars parked in their parking lots for most of the day but the drivers are not coming into their establishments. Each is considering posting signs in their lots stating that students parking there will have their cars towed.

All revenue generated from the permits goes into the college general fund, where the costs to run the program, such as the signage and security cameras, will be taken as well as the cost of the day permit machines. Remaining revenue will go toward filling in the budget gap for the year, though DeMent said the gap is wider than expected due to fewer permits being sold.
Two more part-time public safety officers have been added, as well as additional security cameras.

This has led to a drop in parking lot crime, with 11 recorded crimes thus far in the term compared to 35 for all of fall term 2010, said Public Safety Officer Wayne Feagle.

“We have as many as six [people] enforcing at any time because of volunteers and work-study students in addition to the public safety officers,” said Feagle of the drop in parking lot crime.

Feagle also added that there are no set patterns for those on patrol enforcing the parking permits, although he said they hand out more citations between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Gale Blessing, director of institutional safety and security, said, “We’ve noticed less car theft in our parking lots since September when you compare to last fall.
“We still get break-ins because people leave valuables in their cars, such as purses, iPods and laptops.”

“We have signage on campus telling people to not leave valuables in their cars,” she added.