Cheyenne Parking Officers’ Goal: Barnacle Five Cars Per Week

Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins says despite recent enforcement efforts aimed at getting people with overdue parking tickets to pay up, the city is still owed $204,000 in unpaid fines.

That number stems from 3,400 unpaid parking tickets in the city.

Collins says effective immediately the city will be looking for vehicles with three or more unpaid parking tickets. When the cars are found they will be immobilized with either the Barnacle devices or an old-fashioned car boot. Collins says people can avoid having their cars immobilized by either paying off the tickets or by setting up a payment plan.

The mayor wrote in his “Mayor’s Minute” release for Friday, August 12 “Going forward, our parking officers have a new goal, five Barnacles installed each week, until we get the money owed.” 

The Barnacle, shown in the above photo, is basically a high-tech 21st-century version of a parking boot.

In the release, the mayor notes “There’s a huge number of unpaid parking tickets we have in Cheyenne. Last winter we did an amnesty period and then started to immobilize vehicles that had very large unpaid balances. In the first four months, we installed the Barnacle System 21 times and collected $30,249 from parking tickets. The Barnacle System requires at least five installations monthly to break even on the cost of the system.”

The mayor has said the money collected from parking tickets goes to pay the bond on the Jack. R. Spiker Parking garage.

Here is what you should do if a Barnacle is placed on your vehicle:

• Visit the website listed on the device (pay.barnacleparking.com). You can also call the phone number listed on the Barnacle.
• On the website, click on “I’ve Been Barnacled.”
• The Barnacle has a device number on it. Enter that number when prompted on the website.
• Enter your mobile phone number.
• You will receive a text message with a one-time verification code.
• Enter the three-digit verification code when prompted on the website.
• Enter your credit card payment information.
• In addition to paying the $250 Barnacle service fee, there is a $200 refundable deposit.
• After paying the service fee and deposit amount, you will receive a text message with a four-digit release code.
• Enter the release code into the keypad on the Barnacle to release it. (It may take up to 30 seconds to release).
• Return the Barnacle to a drop-off box at the Jack R. Spiker Parking Structure (307 W. 17th St.) or the George Cox Parking Structure (498 W. 20th St.) at any time. If returned within 24 hours of payment, the $200 deposit will be refunded.

“If a vehicle owner is unable to use a cell phone to unlock the Barnacle device, they may do so by visiting the Public Safety Center (415 W. 18th St.) during business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,” according to city spokesman Micheal Skinner.