The crackdown on parking infractions in the city of North Battleford has already resulted in vehicles being towed away.
City Manager Randy Patrick confirmed Tuesday that 12 vehicles have been towed since April 23. The city alternates among three local towing companies and the vehicles end up at those companies’ lots. As for fines, the lowest dollar owing was about $200 and the most was $1,350.
This number comes as a particular surprise to Patrick.
“It’s kind of an incredible number when you consider parking in this town is free,” he said.
Typically, Patrick said, the infractions would cover such items as handicapped parking, fire lane parking, or parking in front of your house a number of times on days when parking is closed on the entire street. The handicapped infractions are the biggest fines.
“Basically, it’s a fairness issue. A lot of people pay their tickets and a few don’t,” said Patrick.
Under the city’s Bylaw 1946 which covers parking infractions, fines are $40 for parking during times when prohibited, and for where parking is time limited on the same block, $60 with left wheels to the curb, and $200 for parking within a fire lane, on a street without a valid licence plate, and for parking within a designated handicapped area. When the case goes to court, an additional $40 is added.
When there is early payment, the above-mentioned fines are reduced to $20, $40 and $150 respectively.
Since the start of May, the city has collected $3,500 from “drastic offenders.” These are people with multiple unpaid tickets older than 30 days of issue.
The city points out not all drastic offenders who have paid have had their vehicle towed. Some paid all their outstanding tickets to avoid having their vehicle towed.
Since the beginning of 2019 approximately 15 vehicles have been towed. Some were towed before the crackdown started.
The issue of unpaid parking tickets came up at a council meeting last month. Administration made clear at the time that it would be stepping up enforcement and collection efforts.
Up to that point, it was said at the meeting, the unwritten policy had been to record outstanding parking and violation tickets when paid, and then write off unpaid tickets after a year. That is not the case anymore as a system to better track parking tickets has been set up. Instead of treating tickets as revenue once payment comes in, it will be treated as revenue from the moment the ticket is issued.
If payment is not received by the end of the year, it will be set up as a receivable and there will be steps taken to collect, said Mayor Ryan Bater, who noted the city does have the ability to tow and to impound.
Director of Finance Steve Brown provided numbers in a memo dated April 8. Since 2006, the balance unpaid up to Dec. 31, 2018, was $285,845. The balance written off to that same period was $267,404. Total tickets were $553,249.
“We have a responsibility to collect,” said Bater.
