DETROIT – Detroit's parking meters are outdated, broken and in some cases missing. Even battery-powered meters that were installed just a few years ago are dead and their replacement batteries have failed.

But fresh out of bankruptcy, the city does have a plan.

"We are going to purchase 300 new pay stations and outfit the complete city with a new parking system," said Gary Brown, the city's chief operating officer.

Brown has traveled from Pittsburgh to San Francisco to see what type of parking plans other major cities have.

"We had some of the major vendors in this space come in, and compete in the process and we believe that we got it right," Brown said.

He can't reveal specifics until a deal is finalized, but said the product the city is eyeing is a high-tech system.

Users would be able to pay for their parking on their smartphone.

"This system, it's a kiosk. You can literally pay your ticket at any of the 300 kiosks. Also, you'd be able to contest your ticket online. As soon as the ticket is issued, there will be photographs of the ticket and the vehicle taken, and it will be downloaded to the court immediately in real time," Brown said.

The upfront investment won't be cheap.

"We're going to have a warranty for four years. The company will be required to have a warehouse in the city of Detroit with spare parts, with a 24-hour-7-day-a-week response to fix any machine that is down," Brown said.

If all goes to plan, the new meters will be installed this spring.