After waiving some municipal court fines earlier this year, city officials are considering another amnesty program just for those with outstanding parking tickets.
With up to $10,000 owed the city in overdue parking tickets already, Columbus Police Chief Joseph St. John said the city “needs” the amnesty, which would allow violators to pay their fines without further penalties.
“We”re going to explore that avenue,” he said of the parking amnesty.
St. John said he plans to begin campaigning for another program within a couple weeks.
The city collected $438,160 during a three-month municipal court amnesty earlier this year.
Through the program, those who owed fines could pay them without penalty even if arrest warrants already were issued. And contempt-of-court charges were forgiven.
If approved by the city, the amnesty for parking tickets would likely be for a shorter period, St. John said.
While a temporary amnesty would clear a backlog of cases, CPD Traffic Controller Nicole Shirley said reforms were needed.
Officers have used a manual filing system for years, making it almost impossible to track offenders and collect overdue fines, she said.
“We”re in the process of getting a system put in place for the computer so we can keep up with the records and speed up and enforce the process of collection,” Shirley said.
Besides shifting the process onto computers, St. John said other reforms were in the works now, including giving the traffic controller a Segway for downtown travel.
“We”re ready to move to the next step,” he said.
Shirley currently carries a stick with a piece of chalk attached when she makes her rounds on foot in the downtown area four times a day, at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
She marks tires as she goes down Fifth Street and Main, writing $6 tickets for each additional mark she finds.
And most of the time, people pay their tickets promptly, Shirley said.
“A lot of people come running down to the courthouse the same day to pay,” she added. “They realize they were in violation.”
Others dodge tickets, exploiting the outdated system to their benefit, she said.
When people do not pay their parking tickets by their court date, costs rise sharply as charges like contempt of court are added to someone”s record, Shirley continued.
Most of the tickets are given to those who work in downtown shops and do not want to walk from the free parking lots around town, she said.
Heather Rowland, who recently paid $250 in outstanding parking tickets, said parking downtown was “the nightmare of my life.”
Before paying her fines on Tuesday, Rowland was among the top five parking-ticket offenders owing fines to the city of Columbus, along with Kelly Tippett, Ashley Owens, Evelyn Funk and Beth Bryant.
“I understand why they have (parking) fines. I get it,” said Rowland, former director of the Columbus Arts Council. “But it”s all fine and good for merchants to say, ”Don”t park in front of my (business)” when they have parking behind their building.”
She added, “It makes me not want to ever come to downtown again.”
Rowland topped the list of parking-ticket offenders in 2008 when she was director of the Columbus Arts Council. Then, Rowland owed $290 in parking tickets and paid the fines after being contacted by The Dispatch. Rowland”s most recent parking tickets are from 2009, Shirley said.
While parking is tough, especially for people whose shops are farther away from free parking spots, St. John said enforcing parking was necessary to protect the downtown experience.
“If we don”t handle the parking, it”ll become a nightmare,” he added.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.