SCRANTON - A drop in parking-meter revenue in January as compared to January 2012 was due to dead batteries in 600 meters, a representative of the private firm that manages the meters said Monday.
Since January, Scranton has hired private firm Standard Parking to operate the meters on a month-to-month basis, pending a proposed longer-term management pact that is currently under review.
Meter revenue was $67,942 in January 2013, as compared to $76,665 collected in January 2012 when Scranton Parking Authority ran the meter program, according to city figures.
Standard's Senior Vice President Roamy Valera said the firm discovered that batteries in 600 meters were dead and needed to be changed. The city owns 1,095 on-street meters, according to a recent independent parking study.
"That was 600 meters that weren't working when we took over," Mr. Valera said. "Those were the kinds of things that needed to be done on a daily basis."
After SPA was dismantled, the city ran the meter program from mid-September to Dec. 31.