T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA Martins Ferry police chief Vincent West suggests electronic parking meters within the city during the Martins Ferry city council meeting.

MARTINS FERRY — Police Chief Vincent West suggested the implementation of all electronic parking meters within the city during the city’s council regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday evening.

West said that, if implemented, the parking meters would have one pay station that the meters can be paid with either a credit card or change.

“What you would do is enter your license plate number in there. It’s going to be $2 for two hours of parking and so on. But it will allow people, if they’re in a restaurant or work they are also able to pay for their parking from their phone through an app,” he said.

West added that he wants to put signage throughout the city informing residents that instead of walking to the one pay station they may either scan a QR code text number that will provide a place to pay for the parking on their phone.

“Right now, our officers have to go out on foot and walk all the way around, and with only two officers per shift, things get hectic,” West said. “But if we get an alert saying there’s four cars over on Fourth Street with expired parking, we could go over there.”

He added that it will also alert people when their parking is about to expire and provide them an option to add more money to their meter through their phones.

He said the electronic parking meters would generate more funds for the city than the current parking meters, due to his department being so short staffed.

“I can’t commit exact hours to it because of our call volume. But it is something that I think would really help us and help the businesses in the city,” West said.

He added that he is looking for council’s approval but before its approval he has to confirm the amount of upfront costs the project would need as well as how much per year the electronic meters system costs the city to operate.

“Obviously the upfront cost is more expensive but that’s where you’re paying for your pay station, the app, get the programming, the signage, and a handheld ticket writer that would scan the license plate, and it automatically will tell you if the times expired. And you could print out the ticket right there,” West said.

He added that the scanner will also collect data on how many tickets were written per day and then he plans to set it up to where the scanner will automatically send that data to the Clerk of Courts. Residents will then have the ability to pay their ticket at the city building or pay the ticket online.

He then said that he will look deeper into the details and follow up with council soon.

Volunteer Fire Chief II Justin Smith then informed council that the department’s annual Christmas parade will be Nov. 28 at 6:30 p.m. with float line up being at 4:30 p.m.

Council member Rev. James Agnew then said that he has currently been going around the city checking on unkempt properties and creating a list of addresses.

Service Director Andy Sutak asked Agnew, once he completes the list, to send him it and he will send out letters to the residents.

He added that a lot of residents aren’t informed that they are responsible for the two-foot patch of grass alongside the curb of their properties which he sees being neglected throughout the city. Agnew agreed that he’s also noticed that many residents have been neglecting the two foot patch of grass and said that he would send Sutak the list once it’s completed.

Council then passed a motion to cancel its Dec. 17 meeting, but agreed to possibly reschedule it if a meeting is necessary.

The council will meet next on Dec. 3 at 4:30 p.m.