Park it here

This spring, Duncan Solutions, a parking-meter provider from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, paid the CrisCom Company of Chatsworth, California, $5000 to lobby the City of San Diego regarding procurement of its wares. Earlier this year the city thought it had an agreement with Sorrento Valley–based IPS Group to install so-called smart meters, but the plan was temporarily diverted due to unspecified bidding irregularities.

The deal was subsequently reconstituted and last month the city council voted to spend $3.8 million on replacing 4700 coin-only meters with IPS devices. Its lobbyist filing says CrisCom influence-peddler Jason Siegen talked with Republican councilman Scott Sherman and aides for two of his colleagues, Democrat David Alvarez and Republican Mark Kersey. As esteemed as they are, the San Diego officials are not as highly ranked as some previous CrisCom contacts. According to its website, company founder Charles Jelloian has “worked closely with former President Ronald Reagan and numerous other national figures over the past 25 years. He coordinated media events, served as President Reagan’s Chief Foundation spokesman, and hosted numerous national and international dignitaries, including British Prime Minister Lady Margaret Thatcher and Polish President Lech Walesa.”

As for Siegen, the site says, “Prior to his current position with CrisCom, Jason served as Program Manager — West Coast for Duncan Solutions, a full service parking management company and the leading provider of parking technology services. Jason was responsible for citation processing and collections programs of 125 municipal clients.”