City Of Cheyenne To Parking Violators: Beware The Barnacle

The City of Cheyenne is warning anyone with more than three unpaid parking tickets to
"Beware the Barnacle.''

The Barnacle is basically a high-tech 21st-century version of the "boot' car immobilization device.

Mayor Patrick Collins, in his ''Mayor's Minute' news release last Friday set a goal for city parking officers of installing the device on at least five vehicles per week belonging to people with at least three unpaid tickets.

He noted that the city is owed $204,000 on 3,400 unpaid tickets. In a  city news release, Collins is quoted as saying

“We have parking regulations because we want to turn those parking spaces [over] so people can park downtown as customers,” the mayor revealed. “[But] when employees park [their vehicles for] an extended [amount of] time, it limits the amount of parking for customers, [which] makes our downtown merchants less successful. So that’s why we’re trying to move on this, to make sure we have a place [for people] to park, and so that downtown is more financially viable."

Collins has in the past also said that the revenues from parking go to make scheduled bond payments on the Jack Spiker Parking Garage.

The Barnacle can only safely be applied to cars that don't have cracked windshields, so cars with those windshields will be immobilized with a traditional parking boot.

Collins says people who owe money on at least three parking tickets should call the city to set up a payment plan to avoid the Barnacle.

Ted Miazga, with the Cheyenne Police Department, said to have the barnacle removed from your windshield is quite simple.

“The vehicle owner can pay their fines by calling the number listed on the device or by scanning the QR code. When payment is received, a release code is generated, and the individual returns the Barnacle to a drop box location,” Miazga shared.