Council advances ordinance allowing Notices of Violation for minor infractions; first reading passes

The Oskaloosa City Council on Oct. 20 approved first reading of an ordinance to add Chapter 10.77 to the municipal code, which would authorize the Oskaloosa Police Department to issue Notices of Violation (civil penalties) in place of traditional citations for certain minor traffic and municipal infractions.

The proposed chapter covers minor traffic violations, leash-law and animal-at-large violations, open burning of garbage, nuisance animal noises, animal immunization and dangerous-dog violations and nuisance sound-amplification. The ordinance would allow violators to pay a set civil penalty directly to the city; payments would not go on driving records or carry court surcharges.

Chief Bakke (Police Chief) and Dave Dixon (staff member who assisted drafting the ordinance) told the council the change is modeled on similar ordinances used by other Iowa communities and is intended to reduce code-court caseloads and provide quicker closure for residents. "You can go ahead and pay it, but it doesn't go on your record," Dixon said, describing the approach as "a nice methodology." Chief Bakke said the goal was to remove onerous delay for violations that currently require municipal-infraction filings and court-handling through the city attorney's office.

Council members discussed fee-schedule options and whether the city should adopt a flat-tiered fine schedule or use the state's published scheduled fines without court surcharges. Dixon and police staff said that using the state schedule but eliminating surcharges and court costs would be easier for officers to administer and cheaper for residents. The ordinance passed first reading in a roll-call vote; staff said the fee schedule would be updated later and the ordinance provides that violators may still elect to have the matter handled as a traditional citation if they contest the notice.