Starkville may soon turn free parking spots into paid parking.

The board of aldermen will vote at its regular meeting Tuesday on outsourcing a parking company and converting several parking spots in the Midtown and the Cotton District areas into virtual metered parking. ParkMobile, a third-party parking service, would provide a way for residents to pay for a parking spot through its app.

ParkMobile Southeast Regional Sales Manager Brooke Bustle spoke at the board’s work session Friday on the benefits and services of her company. Using location services, the app allows users to simply reserve a spot.

“It’s a very quick streamlined process,” Bustle said. “It’s supposed to take no time at all. That’s kind of the idea.”

Aside from the app, Bustle says residents can use the company’s website to pay, as well as scanning QR codes that would be placed in each spot. Users choose how long to stay in the parking spot, and the app notifies them when time is nearing its end.

If the board votes to partner with ParkMobile, there would be no extra costs to the city. ParkMobile makes its money by a 35-cent service fee on each transaction, and the city would get to choose its own rates for spots.

“The city makes their own rates,” Bustle said. “(The city) can go in and pick how much to charge.”

Mississippi State University currently partners with ParkMobile to assist in parking. MSU Executive Director of Parking and Transit Services Jeremiah Dumas said ParkMobile has helped with efficiency and flexibility.

“Park Mobile has been great for (the university),” Dumas said. “ … It’s been great to transition into this. From the market of parking, the whole word of flexible and frictionless is the big thing of people wanting to use multiple tools.”

ParkMobile parking would not be implemented until at least the beginning of 2022 if the city chooses to partner, Mayor Lynn Spruill said. She said she does not know exactly how many spots in Midtown, the Cotton District and surrounding areas this would affect as the board would have to make those decisions, but she said she would like to see roads such as University Drive, Russell Street, Maxwell Street and Montgomery Street utilizing this service.

“Now that we don’t have to do meters any longer, it makes it a much cleaner process,” Spruill said.