Parking division moves to Auxiliary Services

As part of a process of restructuring University departments, the Department of Public Safety will no longer oversee the Transportation and Parking Services divisions.

Both divisions are now a part of UNC Auxiliary Services.

Matt Fajack, vice chancellor for finance and administration, said the divisions were transferred to Auxiliary Services because of the department’s expertise in budgetary planning.

He said this change is due to a larger restructuring of departments that he and other vice chancellors started in June.

He said Auxiliary Services is better suited to manage parking because it is more equipped to deal with its budget, which is managed internally.

Fajack said DPS provides safety services to campus and is funded through the state, while the Parking and Transportation divisions receive revenue from customers by way of parking fees and passes.

“Parking isn’t really a safety issue,” Fajack said. “Auxiliary has the infrastructure to manage a break-even operation.”

Fajack said Parking Services will still be responsible for its budget and he doesn’t think the separation will have a big impact on finances in the future.

“(It is) a change from safety-focused management to those who are more experienced in managing their own budgets ... a change of focus from one management expertise to another,” Fajack said.

DPS spokesman Randy Young said DPS will still be in charge of issuing parking tickets.

Fajack said the new night-parking policy has nothing to do with the separation of the departments.

He said the next big step in the departmental reorganization will be a change in leadership of some departments, but there will be no big changes to the departments’ services.

Chris Payne, associate vice chancellor for student affairs, is the vice chairman for the Advisory Committee on Transportation. He does not know if he will remain in that position or how the restructuring will affect the committee.

“I haven’t heard if there is going to be any change,” Payne said. “I’ve actually been waiting for some official announcement.”

Sophomore Sam Pranikoff, an undergraduate representative on the Advisory Committee on Transportation, said he thinks the committee won’t change.

Pranikoff said he is excited to work with both departments and will work to keep fees at a minimum.

He said, as far as parking services are concerned, students will not see any difference.

“We will be working diligently with safety and security and with transportation to keep student fees as low as possible,” he said.

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