From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 6, 1989:

The unpopular “time-check” parking meters lining Massachusetts Street were going to be eliminated, if Lawrence Mayor Bob Schumm could get enough support for his plan. Schumm said he’d heard plenty of complaints from the Downtown Lawrence organization and from shoppers about the meters, which had been installed at the beginning of the year. The meters had a needle indicating the time remaining, but the needles could only be activated by turning the meter handle. “People by and large are not worried about the cost of parking, but they are about the time showing,” Schumm said. “They think they’re being cheated.” Schumm had already met with City Manager Buford Watson and officials from Downtown Lawrence to discuss the problem and to investigate the cost of converting the meters so they would constantly show the time remaining. Meter manufacturer Duncan Industries indicated that conversions would require the installation of a new mechanism and would cost about $9.90 per meter. The total cost for the 419 time-check meters on Massachusetts Street would be $4,148.