A proposal to seek a collection firm to recoup about $750,000 in unpaid tickets failed to get a four-member consensus on Sept. 4 to be put on Monday's agenda. Five council members took part in the agenda-fixing session on that date and two objected to the idea, saying collection agencies harass people. Councilman William Reid harangued against the plan and Councilwoman Vera Greaves also objected, while Councilwoman Rebecca Williams spoke forcefully of the need to collect the money from "people who broke the law."
Dr. Harold Yood urged reconsideration on Sept. 4, but neither Greaves nor Reid backed down and the item was not on Monday's agenda. The issue came up in public comment Monday when resident Maria Pellum spoke about parked cars in her neighborhood interfering with street sweeping. She spoke in favor of alternate side parking, but said, "From what I understand, tickets are not getting paid. It's just a joke."
Mapp agreed, noting the same problem in his neighborhood.
"I think it comes from a lack of enforcement," he said.
Williams said Monday, "This has come up time and again, because officers are not writing tickets."
She said people know police will not come after them, so they disregard traffic rules.
At that juncture, Greaves blurted out that she had gotten a ticket downtown on Saturday evening and asked why people should be discouraged from shopping.
Resident Oscar Riba also spoke in favor of alternate side of the street parking for cleaner streets and said he expected the collection issue to be on the agenda, although he said he was doubtful it would have passed.
Mapp said the matter did not get four votes to be placed on the agenda, and it would have required a two-thirds vote, from five of seven council members, to place it on as a new item Monday.
"You can imagine what a task that would be," Mapp said, but added he wanted the resolution on the October agenda.
Resident Jeanette Criscione also spoke in favor of seeking a collection company, saying, "I don't see why we are protecting people who are not lawful."
Mapp also clarified the process, saying the city could receive the entire outstanding amount of more than $700,000, as the fee of up to 22 percent would be paid separately to a collection agency. He held out hope that council objectors would "change their minds somehow" by October.
The October meetings are Monday, Oct. 1 at City Hall Library and 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9 at Municipal Court. All the council members' contact information is here on the city web site, if constituents wish to express their concerns and opinions on the matter.
--Bernice
Williams said Monday, "This has come up time and again, because officers are not writing tickets."
ReplyDeleteIf officers weren't writing tickets then how did we get more than $700,000.00 in unpaid tickets?!?!?
So Reid wants the officers to write more tickets so people take traffic issues seriously. Yet, with more tickets written that equals more unpaid tickets which he doesn't support going after.. Really ??? REALLY??
ReplyDeleteThere are days I don't feel that smart..then I read things Reid says and feel much better about myself. I'm no rocket scientist, but whew..thank God the job of Village Idiot is securely held.
An interesting battle between the haves and the have-nots, the oppressed and the oppressor, the takers and the takees, the give-a-hoots and the don't-give-a-damns, all mixed up in the blissful urban/suburban Queen City, of which we have many, of all types.
ReplyDeleteIt is utterly astounding to me when I read these recaps. I mean my fraternity ran our organization more professionally than the council does here in Plainfield. There's no discussion here - either the city collects it's outstanding fines or it outsources it. Clearly the city is not capable of it - so they should outsource it. Anyone complaining about "harassing the residents" is more concerned about getting elected than properly running a city.
ReplyDeleteAnd a complaint about "discouraging" shopping by giving out tickets - also complete BS. This is a city, a real one - it's sad that it's run more like the island from Lord of the Flies.
If the dissenting councilors are concerned about their less-affluent constituents being harassed by debt-collectors, which they will be, then why not offer a one-time half-price amnesty for outstanding fines and penalties. After that, anyone who doesn't take advantage of the offer or gets ticketed pays the full fine, debt collectors and all.
ReplyDeleteCouncilor Greaves: you parked illegally in your own town and didn't know it or didn't care, and now you complain about enforcement of a statute that every other town in America has? Really?
Maybe what Reid and Greeves want are the people who got tickets that make over a certain income pay their fine and penalties -- and they also pay the fines for the "income challenged" in town who got tickets, so those poor, poor people don't get harassed.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Reid and Greeves think it's okay to harass the well-to-do.
Isn't that how the Democrats want to share the wealth? Make the nasty, horrible "rich people" (anyone who has a job) pay for everything?
Hmmm .. but it wouldn't work. Most of the well-to-do or middle class in Plainfield wouldn't step foot in downtown Plainfield, much less park and shop.
Perhaps the issue is not whether tickets are being written or not, or who supports collection or not but rather to find out where is it that the enforcement system is failing. Is it lack of officers? Lack of clerks at the court house? Lack of communication between the administration and the local court house regarding quality of life issues and enforcement? Somewhere along the line between when a ticket is written, or an offense observed, there is a broken link and, sorry to say it, but outsourcing the collection of tickets might alleviate the backlog but certainly is not going to solve the enforcement problem.
ReplyDeleteAnd the officers could probably write even more tickets if they would use some of the $700,000 dollars to replace over half the signs in the City that are faded and cannot be read.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 1:11 - what's with the way over the top broad brush comments about democrats and sharing the wealth? Nice to see you are taking nonsense Fox news talking points and running with them. As long as we have exaggerators like you we will never move the ball in this town or country.
ReplyDeleteWhy would any Council member--or anyone in Plainfield, for that matter--want to forego adding $700,000 to the city's coffers? Wouldn't that help our dire financial situation?
ReplyDelete