Hunter
10/22/26
The City Council in Iowa City voted unanimously to implement a new device used for unpaid parking violations.
Iowa Media Wire reports that up until now, vehicles that had accumulated at least $150 in parking fines would be towed and impounded at a lot in Tiffin. The proposal would incorporate a new suction-cup-powered device known as a “barnacle” to save residents time and money. The device covers the windshield so violators would be unable to see to drive.
Vehicle owners who have been “barnacled” can scan a QR device on the device and pay a $50 fee online that would automatically detach the device. The vehicle owner would then drop the device off at one of several designated locations in the city.
Counselors said the current system takes up a lot of resident’s time and additional expense to get their vehicles out of the impound lot. Deputy City Manager Chris O’Brien said owners of towed vehicles pay between $230 and $320 in towing and impound fees. If the device had been in place in fiscal year 2025, residents would have saved about $300,000 and saved between 1700 and 2400 hours of public time traveling and waiting for their vehicles to be released from impoundment.
The device has been tested in a pilot program by the University of Iowa that’s been in place since 2025. They’ve purchased a total of 16 devices after a successful test.