By Edward Husar
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
Parking violators, beware.
Aldermen are considering a proposal to double the fine for violating the "timed parking" regulations in Quincy's downtown area to $10 from the current $5 per ticket.
In fact, just about all of the city's "notice of violation" fees for vehicular tickets issued by police would rise by $5 under the proposal endorsed Monday by the council's Police Aldermanic Committee. The increases would include equipment violations for such things as turning signals, horns, mufflers, lights, tires along with various other parking-related violations.
Alderman Richard Reis, D-7, chairman of the Police Aldermanic Committee, said the fee increases are being considered as a way to keep pace with other Illinois cities that charge more for such violations.
So if crime goes up in other Illinois cities should our too ?? Didn't know Quincy Police Department had a "price match guarantee"
Police Chief Rob Copley said the increase in parking fines is needed to offset the cost of enforcing parking regulations in the downtown area. The Police Department has a full-time parking enforcement officer who writes tickets for timed parking violations in the downtown business district, but the revenue from $5 tickets is not enough to offset the cost of having an officer and paying for fuel and other expenses.
Let me see...so this means the parking enforcement officer must write his salery in tickets ...right ???
Copley said the city is "losing money right and left" under the current arrangement. He said raising the ticket fees to $10 would enable the parking enforcement program to break even financially.
Note to taxpayers: Police Department must make a profit !
According to Copley, the downtown parking enforcement program generated 3,418 tickets in 2005. At $5 per ticket, that amounts to $17,090 in revenue. In addition, police officers in 2005 issued another 190 "notice of violation" tickets, which are a mixture of parking and equipment violations. Some of those fees are now $5, while others are $10 or more.
The Police Aldermanic Committee wants to review language in the proposed ordinance before it presents the matter to the City Council for its consideration later this month. Copley said if the council approves the ordinance, the fee increases would probably take effect sometime around June.
Reis said the committee also has endorsed a proposal to increase fees charged to local businesses for false alarm calls that trigger a response from the Police Department. Businesses now are charged $15 for such a call, and some businesses trigger multiple false alarms each year.
Guess the Fire Department is not breaking even either....
Under the revised fee schedule, Reis said businesses would be charged $30 for each false alarm up to the first five calls. The fee would then jump to $60 each for six or more calls.
Hell, why not charge homeowners too. Something like $100 for a one bedroom fire and $50 for each bedroom after that. Kitchen fire with grease would be $250. Damn, you could also put a meter on the firetrucks and charge them for water too !!
22 comments:
this sounds like another bright attempt to help the downtown district by increasing violations.
If I had a store at the Mall or was a shareholder at Wal Mart I would support this and actually tell them to fine parkers $50.
Nice job boys.
Here is a better idea. The program will never pay for itself so use the new money generated by this to do something positive for the downtown area.
Use the money to buy more land for FREE PARKING. Might be able to eventually phase out the whole job of parking enforcement.
I have a simple solution...don't violate the ordinance and you won't have to worry about paying any fines. Of course, then what you mental midgets have to complain about?
Where are the people that work in that area for 8hrs a day supposed to park? And what the hell is a mental midget?
anon 12:35:
Think for a change. If the city didn't have anyone violate the ordinance the city would raise them again. It's clarly stated the this sysytem must pay for it self. But I suppose your a outstanding law abiding taxpayer who doesn't care how the city railroads us over time and time again?
I must be one of the privleged few since I've never been "railroaded" by the city.
anon 8:14:
did you once put your trash out by the curb and it get picked uped?? did you have to put a recycle tag on it that was not recycleable?? You have never been Railroaded by the city becauce you don't know what it is...
that's right you dumbasses pay for someone to park and do biz downtown you fu@#$ng idiots the downtown area is a dump let's charge them by the ton if you want to make some money charge husar for his blatent disregard for journalism and matt schuckman for being a waaaaaaaay tooo faaat sportswriter
2:28
Right on,
Way to go Reisy, make sure those people pay dearly for parking in front of the junk stores, 2nd hand shops, and other assorted dumps. Let's see if we can kill whats left of downtown commerce outright. kill it off, dead! Can't have these people only paying 5.00 to park amoungst empty, condemned buildings! Maybe we can get that white elephant civic center ignored also!
Why would a business want to be downtown if a few assholes can take up all the parking spots all day. Thus leaving nowhere convenient for customers to park.
I can understand ticketing people who park in front of a business all day, regardless of what type of business it is.
However, downtown Quincy has parking lots--lots that are full of empty spaces--in which the 2 hour rule is still enforced.
This seems utterly pointless to me. I pay taxes...I "own" this lot...this lot which is not being used. My parking there hurts no one. And yet, I'm ticketed for using it.
"...charge husar for his blatent disregard for journalism"
Ed Husar is a god. And he knows how to spell.
What type of Salary does a parking enforcement officer in Quincy, IL make?
11:21
That depends on if he is a Reis, Goehl, Hagstom, Grussenmeyer, Spring, or Shoenekase relative.
It goes on the Nepotistic prevailing-wage scale.
I don't believe the parking enforcement officer is related to any of the above-mentioned people.
12:02
It would be amazing if they were not...
Maybe if the Republicans worked as hard for Nuessen as they did for Volm, they could get some of their relatives jobs.
4:18
Don't fool yourself, the republicans currently and previously have done the same thing Take a look a the Vets home during the Hap Northern days. To the victors go the spoils. Local Republicans just haven't been he victors for awhile so they feel compelled to wine about the situation.
Now back to the original argument.
11:21 the parking enforcement officer is makes in the range of $26,000 to $30,000. Why are we spending this money to start with? We are paying the salaries of 77 officers and the city is being constantly patrolled by the ISP. Maybe they could just shift one of the revenue enhancers over for 8 hours a day to another area thus eliminating this position.
you guys can turn this into a republican vs. democrat thing ?
How about the small business owner who moves downtown for the lower rent only to have potential customers know they are going to get hosed for parking violations ?\
Think about it from a city perspective, not dems vs. repubs...
Think about more than your politics and if you can honestly believe this is in the best interest of downtown, then you my friend are completely nuts.
10:24
Thank You..My Point !!!
How about eliminating the "Parking Enforcement" position as a way to free up some money. That woman could probably bring in about double the fine money if she would get her lazy a** out of the car on rainy or cold days.
3418/50 weeks/5 days
the parking officer writes 13 or 14 tickets a day?
how do they spend the other 5 hours of their workday?
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