Board approves second supervisory position for Parking Department to speed Victory Garage upgrades

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Tuesday approved adding a second supervisory position in the Parking Department after the parking manager described a multi‑year backlog of deferred maintenance and the scope of planned upgrades at Victory Garage.

The parking manager told aldermen the department must replace over 300 pieces of infrastructure, build a new data management system, and oversee a lighting and safety upgrade at Victory Garage. The manager said the workload — including coordination of event operations, vehicle enforcement and homeless-related calls in the garage — makes a second supervisory staffer necessary to complete projects more quickly.

Why it matters: Aldermen and staff said Victory Garage serves downtown activity and large events; upgrades aim to improve safety, lighting, wayfinding and the customer experience while addressing security and homelessness-related incidents in the structure. Several aldermen supported the staffing change as a way to accelerate projects and reduce future costs.

Debate and vote: Alderman O'Neil and others questioned whether other departments or outside contractors could shoulder parts of the work; the parking manager said day‑to‑day project management and vendor coordination must remain with the Parking Department. After discussion, Alderman Long moved to approve the request and Alderman Goonan seconded; the motion passed by voice vote with "Ayes have it." The manager later described near-term timelines for meter replacement beginning Aug. 1 and lighting work arriving next week.

Ending: The board approved hiring a second supervisor and additional maintenance staff; the parking manager said two recently hired maintenance workers have already improved cleanliness and that the department will coordinate with DPW, the finance director and security staff to complete the projects.