(Aug. 6, 2013) – Commissioner Steve Novick yesterday directed the Portland Bureau of Transportation to discontinue any future purchases of parking meters under its contract with Cale America.

The decision likely will lead to delays in the start of the Northwest Parking Plan. City Council had approved that plan last week which calls for more than 170 parking meters to be installed in and around the Northwest Portlandshopping district in early 2014.

“We are looking at various options to buy and install meters for Northwest Portland and other locations,” Commissioner Novick said, “But it’s time to start anew with our parking meter purchases and to start a process that is clean and not burdened with the history of bribery that surrounds this contract.”

“While the pricing and service of this contract were a good deal forPortland, it’s a contract under a cloud,” Novick said.

The ten-year contract with Cale Parking Systems was negotiated in 2006 under the direction of Ellis McCoy, the city’s former parking manager. He was arrested in 2011 and subsequently pled guilty to accepting bribes from a former executive with Cale Parking Systems USA. He is  awaiting sentencing.  Last year, Cale Group acquired the assets of Cale Parking Systems USA and created a new subsidiary, Cale America. The current contract is with Cale America.

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