New system tracks user information

Storage lots in Jasper are becoming a lot more high tech and user friendly, as the Town of Jasper has started replacing the old locks with new cyber-tech locks.

But there will be an additional cost for the new technology.

No longer will a storage lot user have to call by-law to unlock the unit and wait while they load or unload belongings. A new lock system has been purchased with programmable keys that are currently being distributed to users who will be able to access the storage lots on their own between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

“It allows them to come and go as they please. There’s an annual fee of $200 a year. It’s similar to storage within the city somewhere, except unfortunately it’s municipally operated. We looked for non-profit groups to run it, but nobody seems to want to take it on,” says Doug Rodwell, manager of licensing and enforcement & deputy director of disaster services with the Town of Jasper.

The new locks cost $15,892.75, with the most expensive part being the key, which is the brain of the system, Rodwell says. If somebody loses their key, they can report it, and they can program the locks to refuse the key. The key can also be programmed to sound an alarm if someone tries to use a key that is refused. There is also a master key that can download lot usage and report who’s been in the unit, how long it was open and who was the last person to use it. The keys are also programmed to expire every year, upon which time Rodwell will notify users that their key needs to be renewed.

The system is similar to those found in cities, but cheaper, Rodwell explains. “In the city, they probably charge more, but they have to punch in codes,” he says. “We went with this one because it’s cheaper. You can spend tons and tons of money to set these systems up, but this one didn’t require power. If we would have had to run power to the gates, it would have been fairly expensive. That’s where you get into places where it costs $500, $600 a year. This one, it’s $200, if they lose a key it’s $150 to replace it. It’s a user system.”

Other systems used in cities often cost $70,000 to $80,000.

The lock system was also chosen partly due to a local distributor. While the company is American-based, Montagne Contracting has become a distributor of the product.

“It’s quite a sophisticated system, and it’s a local supplier that helped us get this. And looking high and low, it was probably the most cost efficient,” says Rodwell.

A new by-law is also in the works regarding the storage lots. Until now, on top of the annual storage fee there was an access fee, as a by-law officer had to be called to open and close the storage lots. That fee will no longer be applied as users can come and go as they please.

The cost of the new lock system has been funded by the storage compounds fees, so it is a true user pay system and not paid for by other residents who don’t use the units. Rodwell says to his knowledge, Jasper is the only place in Western Canada currently using the system.

Rodwell is currently calling users to come and pick up their keys, and is working to get through the list of users in the near future. If someone needs their new key immediately they can call him at the Town Office at 780-852-3014 ext 22.