In March, the council approved a new fine schedule for a variety of parking violations, doubling amounts for some violations such as two-hour parking – from $15 to $30 – and in some cases offering heftier hikes, such as the $17 to $50 jump for parking in red zones, as Lake County News has reported.
But another hike may be in the offing following an discussion during a council and staff budget workshop held before the regular council meeting on June 2.
The initial discussion arose when Councilman Bob Rumfelt asked city staff if the city could raise the fines still further as a way of increasing city revenue.
To realize a revenue increase, noted Kevin Burke, the city's interim city manager and police chief, “We would have to write more citations.”
Burke said he currently has two less officers on the streets – due to open positions and a city hiring freeze – so his department is writing fewer tickets.
He said the police department leaves it to the officers' professional judgment when writing tickets. “That's the most sound industry practice.”
Rumfelt asked if it would be “unfavorably looked upon” if the council took away that discretion and required police officers to write tickets whenever they pulled someone over.
Burke, who pointed out that the fines from parking tickets are shared with many different entities, said an officer's discretion is the “cornerstone of policing.”
Tickets, he explained to the council, aren't ultimately meant to generate revenue; rather, they're a way of modifying behavior when it comes to driving. Sometimes, he said, a warning gets the desired effect.
If the emphasis shifts to writing more tickets, Burke foresaw his officers making fewer stops because they would only go after the worst offenders.
Although the city's parking fines were just increased, Burke said the state also is planning to take a larger portion of the fines.
Under SB 1407 – which was signed last year by the governor and went into effect Jan. 1 – the state is using up to $5 billion in state-issued bonds and portions of certain civil and criminal fines and court fees as a revenue stream for projects such as new courthouses around the state.
That State Court Facilities Construction Fund is intended to fund critical courthouse building projects such as a proposed 50,000-square-foot, $70.2 million courthouse that is planned for Lake County, as Lake County News has reported.
The language of SB 1407 calls for the state to take an increased portion of local parking citations, raising it from $1.50 to $4.50 per citation, which will be deposited into the State Court Facilities Construction Fund-Immediate and Critical Needs Account.
Burke said the previous amount the state had taken had been in effect for many years.
Mayor Ron Bertsch asked Burke if the council would need to hold a hearing before raising the fees again. Burke said if the council reached consensus to pursue it, he would bring back the issue for an agendized discussion.
Council member Suzanne Lyons – pointing out that many of the fines were now around $30 – said the city's business community was concerned. “There comes a point where people are no longer going to want to park,” she said.
“We're not hyper-aggressive with parking here in Lakeport,” said Burke. “You're more likely to have a bass jump out of the lake and bite you on the nose rather than get a parking ticket in this town.”
He added that tickets usually go to those who really deserve it, then he stopped to offer apologies to Lyons who recently received a ticket herself.
Lyons questioned if the state will want a greater portion every time the city raises its fines.
Burke said the state's fee hike following Lakeport's was a coincidence. “It's just kind of unfortunate.”
It also leads to a policy decision for the council, said Burke, who suggested they may not see another raise from the state for some time. He was quick to add, however, that considering the state's current fiscal situation, “I probably shouldn't say that.”
Most of the council supported the idea of raising the fines once again, with the exception of Lyons, who said she had a problem with the original increase.
Rumfelt asked Burke about installing parking meters as a way of raising money for the city. Burke said they would generate revenue, but they could raise aesthetics issues. “It's generally kind of an urban thing,” he said.
A staffer also would need to collect the money, and there also would be the expense to purchase them, Burke said.
City Clerk Janel Chapman said she has begun an updated resolution to increase the city's parking citations, but it isn't yet complete.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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