Town Aims to Improve Parking Ticket Fee Collections with Third-Party Service

Great Barrington has contracted with a third-party service to process parking tickets, and the town is already seeing results.

“We’re glad to now have a robust ticket collection service to manage payments, unpaid violations, holding hearings for appeals and notifying the state Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV),” said Town Manager Mark Pruhenski. “If someone receives a letter in the mail with a Plymouth County return address, it’s likely related to a parking ticket you received while in Great Barrington.”

Police Chief Paul Storti developed a plan to outsource ticket collections to Plymouth County, which provides this service to cities and towns across the state, including three others in Berkshire County. Plymouth charges an administrative fee to the ticket holder, so there's no cost to the taxpayer.

The Selectboard agreed to this process, and it's now underway.

Anyone with an overdue ticket now receives a notice in the mail from Plymouth County. Tickets can be paid online, here.

Anyone wishing to dispute a ticket must request a hearing within 21 days of the violation, by following the instructions on the ticket.

Appeals are handled in-person in the Selectboard meeting room at Town Hall with town Parking Clerk Matthew Kollmer.