Jersey City officials pulled a parking enforcement resolution after discovering a previously undisclosed donation from the vendor to Mayor James S. Solomon’s campaign.
“An executive gave $1,000 to ‘Team Solomon,’ which was split amongst the mayor and four council members (also they mislabeled the donation on the conflicts form. So it wasn’t caught on the first scan). Out of an abundance of caution, we pulled the proposal and put out a RFP,” according to a statement emailed Tuesday by a city spokesperson.
During the City Council meeting on June 10, officials said they were withdrawing the resolution involving the automated parking enforcement company Automotus.
Officials said they would instead pursue a request for proposals.
“While preparing for tonight’s council meeting, the mayor’s office identified a donation to the mayor and the majority of the council members from an Automotus executive that was not appropriately disclosed by the vendor during the city’s pay-to-play vetting process,” read a transcript of the meeting.
Automotus is a Los Angeles-based technology company that provides automated curb and parking management systems. It uses cameras and artificial intelligence to monitor parking spaces, loading zones, bike lanes and other curbside areas.
The company’s technology can detect parking violations, track curb usage, automate payments and, in some cases, support parking enforcement.
Officials said the city would no longer move forward with the proposed contract under the existing process and would reopen the procurement through competitive bidding.
“Tonight, we are pulling the current resolution authorizing the camera-assisted parking enforcement program and submitting one for a request for proposal to ensure a fair and open bidding process,” the representative said in a video recording of the meeting.
The administration said the decision was made to maintain public trust and transparency.
“We are committed to rebuilding trust with the public through transparency and honesty, even if it means taking more time on important initiatives,” the representative said.