Late last month, the Belmont Shore Parking and Business Improvement Area Advisory Commission recommended approval of "smart meters" and increasing hourly parking lot rates to match the current 50-cent per hour street rates, but stirred away from a decision to extend the meter time.

The unanimous vote by the advisory panel (known colloquially as the parking commission) goes to the City Council for a possible green-light vote later this month.

The Belmont Shore retail and restaurant row district could get 524 meters --- 368 on the streets and 156 in seven parking lots, according Bill Lorbeer, chairman of the parking commission.

Proponents say the proposed new meters are user friendly because they handle both change and credit cards. The parking commission voted to recommend the meters to the council, but also voted to maintain the current 50-cent an hour rate.

There are 48 meters in a lot that charge only $2 for the whole day, and the commission also voted to recommend increasing those meters to 50 cents per hour so that it will match the street-meter rates, according to parking commissioner Lisa Ramelow.

However, the commission rejected meter sensors, a "puck" feature that gives data on vehicle use.

A majority of the parking commissioners don't believe it will be helpful to know when a car parks at a particular spot, or when it pulls out, according to Ramelow, adding the commission did not see the likelihood of having a sign or an app that says, "Hey, there's a spot available over on Covina."

The parking commissioners want the Council to approve convenience fees --- an extra charge given to the person using a plastic card.

IPS, a San Diego-based company, is the vendor that city planners are considering to replace the 1,620 meters throughout the three metered areas of the city -- the Shore, downtown and the Pike.