San Luis Obispo’s one-time primary parking meter coin collector wants the city to correct his classification as a contractor and acknowledge his 33-year tenure as an employee.
“Throughout that entire period, I was classified as a ‘contractor,’ despite the nature, duration, and control of my work clearly meeting the legal definition of an employee under California law,” SLO resident Brett Cross wrote in a March 15 letter to the City Council.
According to a Jan. 20 letter to SLO City Attorney Christine Dietrick from Cross’ attorney, his working relationship with the city began in 1993 when he was classified as an independent contractor who collected coins from parking meters. Over the years, SLO issued multi-year contracts for meter collection that typically lasted four years, with two yearlong extensions.
When the contract expired in June 2020, city officials told Cross they intended to retain his services on a month-to-month basis. He continued collecting coins from meters and pay stations across SLO until the city ended his contract in October 2025.
Cross raised the issue with the city, and a mediation was held on Jan. 29. Following alleged silence from the city, he filed a claim on Feb. 10. On March 17—near the end of the 45-day statutory response period—the city scheduled a closed session discussion about potential litigation from Cross.
At the meeting, City Attorney Dietrick said that no reportable action took place that requires public disclosure under the Brown Act. She didn’t respond to New Times’ requests for comment.
It’s unclear why the city terminated his contract. Cross told New Times he wasn’t given a clear explanation.
‘My goal is simply to resolve the questions surrounding my employment status after more than three decades of service to the city.’
—Brett Cross, former SLO parking meter coin collector
“The contract required that I have a backup collector available, so I created a small partnership solely for that purpose,” he said. “My partner filled in for me roughly 10 times over the life of the contract, but the work was exclusively for the city of San Luis Obispo. We didn’t serve any other jurisdictions, and the partnership existed only to meet the city’s backup requirement.”
Starting Aug. 31, 2025, the city switched to the PayByPhone service as the only accepted application for mobile parking payments on downtown SLO streets.
“The city has been transitioning from multiple payment apps to just one since the start of 2025,” the city announced in a news release. “This change follows a comprehensive evaluation process that included vendor proposals, community feedback, and technical review by city staff. Residents and businesses overwhelmingly supported the move toward a single, streamlined app to improve usability and reduce confusion.”
Cross’ attorney, Kathryn Eppright of AMB Law, wrote to Dietrick that state law classifying independent contractors had continuously evolved over the course of Cross’ tenure with the city.
She cited cases like Estrada v. FedEx Ground Package Systems Inc., Alexander v. FedEx Ground Package Systems Inc., and Slayman v. FedEx Ground Package Systems, Inc. where courts concluded that FedEx drivers were employees and not independent contractors under California and Oregon law.
“These cases were part of a trend that is attributed to the greater scrutiny of independent contractor classifications that started to occur in 2007 as the country began the Great Recession and saw declines in state tax revenue and the rise of companies offering ‘gig’ work,” Eppright wrote. “California passed a law around this time penalizing employers for the willful misclassification of employees as independent contractors.”
She argued that Cross was similar to FedEx drivers, because he worked on a regular and consistent basis only for the city and was held to a collection schedule set by the city, while wearing a shirt that had a city patch and a City Parking Services hat, and under the daily supervision of city personnel.
Eppright alleged that the city neglected to formalize its working relationship in writing once Cross’ contract ended in June 2020. When it issued a call for proposals for collection services in 2022, Cross and LAZ Parking were the only two bids.
SLO didn’t accept either proposal, but Cross continued to work for the city.
Cross told New Times he’s evaluating his options with his attorney and hasn’t decided if he will pursue litigation.
By March 31, he wanted the city to formally acknowledge his 33-year tenure as an employee, and grant retroactive CalPERS enrollment covering the full period of his service, payment of both employer and employee portions of all retroactive CalPERS contributions, and full payment of the $20,000 attorney and mediation fees.
“My goal is simply to resolve the questions surrounding my employment status after more than three decades of service to the city,” he said.“I’ve asked the council to review the matter, and I’m waiting for their response through my attorney.” ∆
This article appears in Spring Arts Annual 2026.