The Ukiah Police Department is getting a new license plate reader camera system for parking enforcement.
An item on the Ukiah City Council’s consent calendar this past Wednesday mentioned the department’s purchase of the cameras from EyeP Solutions for the amount of $53,386.10.
In October, a proposal was sent out by the city that described the Ukiah Police Department’s need for a new parking enforcement license plate reader camera that operates efficiently and without technical glitches. After an evaluation process where city staff reviewed several different companies, it was determined that EyeP Solutions was the best option.
According to a staff report prepared by Capt. Jason Chapman, the Ukiah Police Department currently uses a Motorola LPR system that has been unreliable and consistently experiences technical glitches. The report notes that the department uses a Toyota Yaris as a parking enforcement monitoring car.
To conduct parking enforcement efficiently and accurately, the department needs to replace the vehicle’s Motorola LPR system. Police said Motorola informed them that they will no longer provide technical support to their LPR system.
The new parking enforcement license plate reader camera will be purchased with money from the city of Ukiah’s parking district fund, which manages the operations and maintenance of the city’s parking system. The fund is supported by fees from users, such as payments for parking, rather than general city taxes.
The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 21 at 5:15 p.m. at the Ukiah Civic Center, 300 Seminary Ave. Residents can participate virtually via a Zoom link at the top of the agenda when it becomes available. Public comments can be emailed or called in at (707) 463-6217. Meeting agendas can be found on the city’s website.