June 21, 2013 | SharkAdmin Come this fall semester, parking at Northwest Vista College is going to look a little different. We will have the new garage, located next to Huisache Hall, with over 700 new parking spaces. In anticipation of the additional parking on campus, the shuttle bus services to and from the SeaWorld San Antonio parking area has been discontinued. There have been numerous questions regarding how the fee structure will change for employees and for students. More information will be coming to all Alamo Colleges employees about their fees and the possibility of paying through employee payroll deductions. For now, I will try to explain the basic fee structure. NVC employees will continue to pay an annual $50 fee, now called a “Campus Access Charge.” Students will now pay the “Campus Access Charge” as a part of tuition and fees. The fee will be assessed at $25 per semester, with a maximum charge of $50 per academic year. So, if I were a student starting at NVC in the fall of 2013, I would be assessed a $25 charge for the fall semester. Assuming I continue in the spring semester, there would be another $25 fee. Now I have paid $50, so if I choose to continue in the summer, there would be no additional fee assessment. A benefit to breaking up the $50 fee by semester is spreading out the payment. This change in the process will also reduce the costs of monitors the process and trying to identify violators who do not currently buy a parking permit. Now what about the cost of using the parking garage? If a student or employee parks in the garage, there will be an additional fee of $1 per use. The garage will be equipped with a machine for paying the fee prior to exiting the garage – much like the process at the San Antonio Airport or at UTSA. Students can use their AlamoCash Card or other options to pay for parking in the garage. Another question that has been raised is how does one know if the garage has vacant parking places? There will be an automated system that keeps track of vehicle entries and exits. When the lot is full, a sign will light up to show the full status. Our expectation is that all the mechanisms necessary to put these processes into operation for the fall will be in place on time. Should that not occur, there will be back up plans that will be communicated to employees and students. The purpose of the fees is to ensure sufficient revenues to cover the costs of building, maintaining and operating streets, parking areas and parking structures for students and employees. The debt to cover the cost of our new garage will be paid over time using the income from access fees. If you have other questions, please feel free to send me a message.
