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Lake Zurich staff present consolidated fee schedule and plan to expand countywide e‑ticketing
Summary
Staff presented a consolidated fee schedule to simplify fines across departments and outlined a transition to countywide e‑ticketing; proposals include extending the period before fines double from 10 to 15 days and standardizing fines to improve clarity and enforcement consistency.
Village staff presented a consolidated fee schedule intended to simplify and standardize fines and penalties across departments, and described plans to add local ordinances to a countywide e‑ticketing system.
Michael Dubner, who led the review, said the schedule removes anomalies (for example, variable doubling periods and inconsistent increments) and aims to make fines easier to understand and administer. Dubner said the board is proposing to give residents 15 days before fines double instead of 10, and to make doubling rules uniform across offenses.
The police chief described the county e‑citation project and operational benefits: officers will issue tickets electronically from handheld devices, data will transfer directly to the clerk's office, and the system can reduce duplicate data entry and speed processing. The chief said adjudication options remain the same and that requesting adjudication freezes any doubling of the fine while the challenge is pending.
Presenters also discussed specific categories: park citations were consolidated into a general park offense category and high, rarely used penalties (for example, a previous $500 fine for off‑leash dogs) were reviewed to balance enforcement and fairness. Staff emphasized the goal of improving clarity for residents and simplifying enforcement for officers.
Board members asked whether fine amounts would increase; presenters said some fines were modified but the focus was on consistency and clarity rather than broad increases. The chief said the approach makes it easier for officers to interpret rules and for residents to know the consequences of infractions.
What's next: staff will continue the review and bring proposed ordinance language back to the board as needed for adoption.
Quote: "The county has embarked on a countywide system of computerized ticketing...data is then sent directly to the clerk's office," the police chief said.
