AIMS Parking Enforcement Software Module RequestMasterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Procurement for AIMS Parking Enforcement Software Module
DATE: August 10, 2011
Dubuque
AII- AmericaCity
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2007
Parking Division Manager Tim Horsfield is recommending the purchase of an additional
payment software module from AIMS, the Parking Division software vendor. This would
greatly enhance the online availability to customers and provide a more seamless and
reliable system for the processing of payments.
There are sufficient funds remaining in three projects to cover the $12,000 cost.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Tim Horsfield, Parking Division Manager
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
August 2, 2011
Dubuque
All- America City
II I,
2007
To: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
From: Tim Horsfield, Parking Division Manag
Subject: Procurement of AIMS Parking Enforcement Software Module
Parking Division
830 Bluff Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
563 - 589.4267
www.cityofdubuque.org/parking
I have been requested by staff from Information Services along with staff from the Finance
Department to review the possibility of purchasing an additional payment software module
from AIMS which according to the attached memo from Joe Pregler, Information Systems
Specialist, will greatly enhance our on -line availability to customers and also provide a more
seamless and reliable system relative to our processing of payments. This software is just
recently available from our vendor and we have sort of cobbled a system of our own to allow
for a mediocre at best system for on -line payment. As Joe's letter indicates, this investment
greatly enhances our payment system.
This is really a great time to get this software as we are within weeks of beginning the
relationship with the State of Iowa Treasurers for collection of fines.
I have reviewed the budget and we had sufficient funds remaining in 3 projects to cover the
cost associated with this purchase. The cost from AIMS is $12,000 initially and then we
would also have to budget an annual support fee of $2000.00. I have identified two Capital
Improvement Projects to cover the costs of the project. Here are the available funds:
730 -2230 5th Street Ramp Relighting Project - $ 6601.00 (Can be Closed Out)
730 -2229 Locust Ramp Relighting Project - $ 5768.00 (Can be Closed Out)
730 -2046 Ramp Occupancy Certification - $ 32,750.00 (Use $1631.00)
After meetings with Chris Kohlmann, Joe Pregler and Finance Department staff, I agree with
the request and ask that you approve the purchase of the payment module from AIMS.
If you have any questions, I would be happy to facilitate a meeting with those involved in this
recommendation.
Thank you in advance for your consideration in this matter.
1
AIMS Enforcement Software Module
Page II
Cc: Dave Heiar, Economic Development Director
Jenny Larson, Budget Director
Chris Kohlmann, Information Services Director
Joe Pregler, Information Services
2
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
DATE:
Tim Horsfield, Parking System Supervisor
Joe Pregler, Lead Applications /Network Analyst
AIMS Web+ Software
June 27, 2011
Dubuque
bitd
1/14malca City
2007
BACKGROUND
The City of Dubuque currently uses WebQA to accept parking ticket payments on the
city's website. The current process involves many manual steps, as the WebQA
payment module does not interface with our existing EDC AIMS parking ticket software.
Every weekday Jim Vosberg runs a custom report, which I created, and generates a list
of current open tickets. Jim then runs a program, which I also created, that compares
today's report with yesterday's report and generates a file with the changes. We can
only submit the changes to WebQA, since they cannot accept a full (updated) file every
day. Jim then submits this file to the WebQA website for processing. He usually runs
this around 8:30 AM in the morning. The following morning, usually a little after
midnight, WebQA runs a job that processes this file and updates the website data.
When someone pays a parking ticket on the website, an email is generated to Cheryl
Zihlke. She then has to manually enter that payment into AIMS.
DISCUSSION
With regards to the above process, I am sure you can see all of the manual steps that
are involved that could possibly lead to data on the website being inaccurate and
untimely as well as delays in posting the payment back to our parking ticket software.
EDC Corporation, our current provider of parking ticket software, has a software
solution called AIMS Web+ that I believe would be beneficial for your department and
the citizens. This software has many new features. In addition to the ability to accept
parking ticket payments in real -time on our website, it would allow citizens to pay for
permits, add themselves to a waiting list, appeal a ticket, and view their parking ticket
history.
Along with these new features, I believe there are a number of additional benefits that
the city and citizens would receive:
Real -time database accuracy. The new software interfaces directly with our
current parking ticket database. WebQA doesn't process our file until the
following morning, so data being updated to the website takes a minimum of 16
hours, possibly a few days if WebQA is having issues. Currently on weekends
and holidays there is no transfer, thus data can be up to 4 days old.
Automatic payment posting. There are occasions where Cheryl Zihlke currently
does not get the email indicating a payment has been made. Cheryl runs a
report at the end of the day that catches any of these missing payments, but that
delays the posting of the payment in the system. The new system would post
payments in real -time.
Payment on multiple tickets at once. Currently, if a citizen has multiple tickets to
pay on, they have to pay each ticket one at a time. The new system would allow
payments on more than one ticket at a time, or we can require that the whole
account be paid in full.
Upcoming DOT hold rush. In August you are planning to start implementing
holds on vehicles with the Iowa DOT. I believe once a press release is issued
that there will be "rush" of traffic to the website by citizens that are checking to
see if they have parking tickets, and paying them. With the current system, I
could not definitively say that it is 100% accurate. I believe we would want 100%
accuracy before issuing that press release.
ACTION STEP
I recommend you consider purchasing AIMS Web+ as an add -on to the current AIMS
parking ticket software. I think it would be largely beneficial to citizens and your staff
with regards to having a more robust, accurate system that will save individuals time.
Thank you.
CC: Chris Kohlmann, Information Services Manager
Ken Tekippe, Finance Director
cf
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4' ELECTRONIC DATA COLLECTION CORPORATION
Automated Issuance/Management
AIMS Web Quotation
March 10, 2011
City of Dubuque
Attn: Tim Horsfield
Tim,
The pricing below includes the following functionality:
Implementation of API for Real -Time Connection to your Payment Gateway
Implementation of API for Real -Time connection to the AIMS Database
Online Parking Ticket Payments
Online Parking Appeals
Online Staff Access for Adjudication and Report Generation from any Browser
Upfront Fee:
Qty
Description
Unit
Extended
1
AIMS Web for Online Parking Ticket Payments and
Appeals1
$10,000.00
$10,000.00
1
AIMS Web Implementation Fee
2,000.00
2,000.00
Total First Year Cost:
$12,000.00
Annual Support:
Qty
1
Description
Unit Extended
AIMS Web Support
$ 2,000.00
Total AIMS Web Support
$2,000.00
The AIMS Web API utilizes one concurrent AIMS user at all times. Please let me know
if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Ellen Genung
AIMS Web utilizes one AIMS concurrent user license at all times.
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