ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT
To Committee(s)
| # | Committee Name | Meeting Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Policy & Government Oversight Committee | Jan 9, 2023 |
Action Item(s)
| # | File Type | Subcategory | Item Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Action | Contract/Agreement | Authorizing a contract with Cale America (dba Flowbird), in the amount of $5,000,000, for a three-year period, with the option to extend for an additional two-year term, for supplying a mobile application that can be used by customers for making payments in metered parking areas. |
Ward / Neighborhood / Address
| # | Ward | Neighborhood | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | All Wards |
Background Analysis
The first payment application for metered parking in Minneapolis began service in 2015. Branded the “Mpls Parking App,” it has become a popular payment option among users. In 2022 approximately 65% of all payments were made via the app representing over 3.7 million transactions.
The contract with the current provider of this service ends in March of 2023. In October of 2022 the City released a Request for Proposals/Event 0000002242 to select a vendor to continue providing this service. Six proposals were submitted and evaluated based on several criteria including how well the scope of services met department objectives, the organization and management approach for the project, and the cost of services proposed. The evaluation panel recommends awarding the contract to Flowbird.
Flowbird’s payment app will replace the existing app supplied by a different provider but it will continue to use the city’s trademarked “Mpls Parking” branding. The metered parking pay stations in the city are also supplied by Flowbird along with a robust management system. Combining both the pay station and mobile app transactions into a unified management system will create efficiencies for management of the overall system. It will also create opportunities to better communicate information about parking demand and availability to users of the app. The Flowbird app has many customizable options to enhance the user experience, communicate parking rate information, and to create synergies with other services.
Enterprise Review
- Meets the City’s Equity and Inclusion goals for contracts over $100,000.
- Meets Small and Underutilized Business Program goals. SUBP 0%