“There are well over 20 different firms that can provide those merchant credit card services and we’re looking for what is the most advantageous for the county and the taxpayers of Butler County as far as banking fees,” said Randy Quisenberry, Asset and Purchasing Director for the county. “It’s going to have to be part of the garage budget. Equipment is one thing but ongoing transaction fees are another.”
The Butler County commissioners have dubbed the five-story, 600-space garage at the corner of Court Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. a "Stone Age" garage.
It currently operates as a cash-only, pay-at-the-gate operation. Proposals to automate the garage, making it more user friendly and installing the ability to generate revenue from community events, were submitted earlier this year.
The bids were in the neighborhood of $100,000 to $400,000, but Quisenberry said he believes it can be automated for about $200,000.
Once bids are in Aug. 19, a presentation on the total automation package will be presented to commissioners Aug. 22. If they approve, the garage could be fully automated by the end of September.
The left side entrance gate to the garage is broken again after being out of service for just over weeks in May.
The county had hoped to hold off on repairs until the automation project got underway but couldn’t.
Butler County Administrator Charlie Young said it was a “mess” the last time it broke.
“With only one open, particularly juror days, it was a mess,” Young said. “We had stationed some people out there to try to make it flow better, but it was a problem.”
Quisenberry said he is waiting on the latest repair estimate. The county spent about $10,000 to put it back in service in May.
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