LAKEPORT – The city of Lakeport's schedule of parking fines appears set to change soon, following a discussion at the Lakeport City Council's Tuesday meeting on raising the fine amounts.

Kevin Burke, police chief and interim city manager, asked the council to consider the fine changes based on a survey of other Northern California cities comparable to Lakeport, most of which had substantially higher fines.

The point of higher fines, Burke emphasized, is to deter violators, which the current fines aren't doing.

Parking tickets for various offenses currently are either $15, $17 or $27; the big ticket item, parking in a handicapped space without a placard, incurs a fine of $275.

The current fine schedule was last updated in 1998 by a council resolution, but the range of fines actually goes back much earlier, although Burke wasn't able to determine precisely when the amounts were set.

Burke and the council went over the offenses one by one, and came up with the following consensus proposals. Listed are the current amounts and the new, proposed fines.

• Blocking driveway, parkway, crosswalk or alleyway: $27 to $35;

• Vehicle for sale (being parked on display in a public place): $17 to $25;

• Parallel parking: $17 to $25;

• Posted “no parking”: $17 to $35;

• Parked on a hill with wheels curbed: $17 to $30;

• Vendors and peddlers: $17 to $30;

• Green curb, 20 minutes: $17 to $30;

• Yellow curb, 20 minutes: $17 to $30;

• White curb, three minutes: $15 to $25;

• School bus zone, $17 to $35;

• Red zone: $17 to $50;

• Vehicle storage/parked in excess of 72 hours: $17 to $75;

• Diagonal parking: $17 to $30;

• Blue curb/handicapped parking: $275 to $300;

• Two hour parking (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.): $15 to $30.

Burke said some of the parking violations are infrequent, but vehicles being parked in excess of 72 hours “definitely is an issue.” He said it's also difficult to recover fines on those vehicles; fines usually are collected when a vehicle is registered, but some of those which are cited aren't registered again.

To get a ticket in a two-hour parking area, a person would have to be parked there a lot longer than two hours, Burke said.

Mayor Ron Bertsch noted that the police have been generous in dealing with parking citations.

“We're pretty flexible,” said Burke. “We're not talking about changing that.”

The council voted unanimously to direct staff to prepare an updated resolution and bring it back for approval.

Considering increased parking enforcement

Burke's staff report on the parking fines noted that due to council members' concerns and complaints from the public police staff had increased parking enforcement. Even Burke himself has been seen out writing parking tickets around town.

Parking enforcement overall appears to be a council priority.

During a business plan update before the regular council meeting, Burke asked the council for direction on whether or not to increase the amount of time police staff devote to parking enforcement.

City Attorney Steve Brookes noted during the discussion that he doesn't believe the city has a parking problem.

Councilman Roy Parmentier said they need a parking enforcement officer and a code enforcement officer.

“I don't know how the hell it got by us but it did,” Parmentier.

He told Burke, “When I vote on your budget it better have a parking officer.”

Burke responded that it depends on what the department can afford. Lakeport Police currently has two unfilled officers' positions due to the city's hiring freeze.

Councilman Bob Rumfelt said the city used to have a parking enforcement officer who made the city more money than her salary and benefits cost them.

“She liked it way too much. I had eight in one year,” said Brookes, adding that he holds the city record for most tickets in a year.

Burke suggested an alternative – he asked the council if he could bring to them the option of privatizing parking enforcement in the city.

He said he's been informally discussing the idea with someone who wants to bid on the chance to provide the service.

“It addresses half the problem,” said Mayor Ron Bertsch, the other half being code enforcement.

Burke said a larger issue for the department is to eventually get that dedicated code enforcement position.

Bertsch said he was under the impression that the last person the department hired was to be a code enforcement officer.

“No, sir,” Burke replied.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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