Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fines And Collections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Councilors press staff on fine levels and whether tickets are collected
Summary
Councilors asked how effective fines are as a deterrent, with staff estimating total annual fines around $600,000 but noting collection tracking requires the collector's office; councilors suggested exploring higher fines and alternate enforcement tools.
Councilors used the Orleans Street example to question whether current fines deter repeat dumpers. Councilor Lamar Walsh urged studying fee increases "to send a message to the absentee landlords who don't seem to care about what happens in the neighborhoods."
Staff said fine amounts are set by ordinance and vary by violation. Steve Desele told the committee that the city follows ordinance-established maximums and that, while he could not break out dumping-specific receipts on the spot, the city may issue roughly "$600,000" in fines and fees across codes in a fiscal year. He recommended a collectors' report or Munis/OpenGov query to determine how much of that is actually collected.
Keith O'Connor described typical fine ranges for illegal dumping — "we could take anywhere from a 150 to $250" for first-time offenders and noted other fines run from $10 to $500 depending on the ordinance; he also said the city can ticket under the state sanitary code for maintenance-of-land issues. Councilors pressed whether larger fines (examples cited from other cities) would be effective if collection rates remain low.
