By David Skolnick

skolnick@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The city’s board of control is expected today to sign a two-year agreement with a company to collect unpaid civil speeding violations and late fees.

Of the 5,051 citations issued by officers using speed cameras on highways and in school zones last year – enforcement started Aug. 18 – 2,064 paid the fees that range from $100 to $150, depending on the speed. That’s 52 percent of those cited.

“We were thinking 50 percent [collection], so we did better than expected,” said Anthony Donofrio, city deputy law director.

Mayor John A. McNally told The Vindicator earlier this month the city would step up enforcement by hiring a collection agency.

The board, of which McNally is chairman, will vote today to hire Municipal Collections of America, based in Lansing, Ill., as its collection agency for those who don’t pay speeding citations. MCA handles collections for 75 counties, cities, villages and townships. It would receive 25 percent of what it collects for Youngstown. That’s a good deal, Donofrio said, because most agencies take one-third of the money it collects.

The contract is effective upon board approval.

MCA was recommended by Optotraffic, the Latham, Md., company that provided the city with speed cameras and processes and mails the citations, keeping 35 percent. The city gets 65 percent.

The split between the city and Optotraffic, however, goes to 55 percent for Youngstown and 45 percent for the company when letters are sent to those who fail to pay citations on time, Donofrio said.

If a citation isn’t contested after 30 days, a $20 late fee is assessed. The fee increases by another $20 after 60 days, and then by another $20 after 90 days.

With the MCA hire, the city will take a “softer approach” to those not paying the fees, Donofrio said. After a third late notice, a letter would be sent with a date to appear in front of Eugene Fehr, the city-appointed hearing officer for speed citations, Donofrio said.

If the person cited shows up at the hearing, the late fees would be eliminated even if Fehr determines the person exceeded the speed limit, Donofrio said.

If the person doesn’t show up, the late fees would return and the matter would be given to MCA for collection, he said.

“We’re giving people every opportunity to pay before they go into the collection process,” Donofrio said.

The financial breakdown on a $100 ticket with $60 in late fees would give $40 to MCA. Of the remaining $120, the city would get $66 – 55 percent – and Optotraffic would get $54, or 45 percent.

A year into the contract with MCA, the city will re-evaluate the collection process and may step it up, Donofrio said.

“We’ll see if we need to take any further action,” he said. “Council could pass an ordinance to give more teeth” for collections.

Using $125 as an average fee for the 2,064 paid citations, $325,500 was collected – with the city getting $211,575 and Optotraffic receiving $113,425.

The program has officers issue civil citations rather than stop speeders and give moving violations with a fine and points on their driving records.

Speeders face civil penalties of $100 for driving up to 12 mph over the speed limit, $125 for 13 to 19 mph over the limit, and $150 for those driving at least 20 mph over the limit.

Citations are given to motorists caught by the cameras going at least 12 mph over the limit on highways, except in construction zones, where it drops to at least 10 mph over the limit. Citations are given to those driving at least 10 mph over the limit in school zones.

The focus of the program has been on Interstate 680 between South Avenue and Meridian Road, where the speed limit is 50 mph. Police say that was a high-accident area, and there hasn’t been one since officers started using the speed cameras.