An alderman is defending the severance payout for the former general manager of the Calgary Parking Authority.

Gael Macleod says Dale Fraser wasn't fired, that he was released as the Calgary Parking authority decided to go in a different direction, She adds the organization wanted to move from being seen as an authoritarian regieme to one focused on providing a parking service. And because there was no cause in Fraser losing his job, a severance package had to be paid.

Despite the payout, the issue of who has the patent rights for park plus still hasn't been settled as Fraser and another former CPA employee claim they own the rights, something the city disputes.

Fraser received a payout of more than 3 hundred thousand dollars when he was released from the job.