Journal Staff
Sarnia says moving parking ticket and dog licensing services online will make things easier for residents and city staff alike.
Starting next year, owners can buy and renew dog tags through DocuPet, a Kingston-based online service. Some owners could receive the new renewal notices in the mail as early as January.
DocuPet will handle payment and customer service, and owners will receive dog tags and information about the program in the mail. The service includes a free 24/7 lost pet service.
For those who don’t want an online option, licenses will still be available for purchase at City Hall, the Humane Society and some veterinary offices.
Sarnia sells about 4,500 tags a year.
The new program comes with a one-time cost to the city of $18,000.
For parking tickets, the city is buying hand-held printers and employing Passport, a U.S.-based Internet software platform.
When writing up a parking infraction, bylaw officers will input information on a phone app and print the ticket on the spot, which is placed on the vehicle with an accompanying photo.
The service will simplify the current system of carbon copies and eliminate the need to store paper files, city staff said in a report.
When drivers want to pay or protest a ticket, they can review the documentation and photo evidence on the Passport website.
Cost to the city will be $6,600 for the hardware and tickets, plus an $18,000 annual licence fee.