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Girard council considers implementing manned radar speed cameras
By Sarah Lehr
GIRARD
City council is reviewing legislation that would authorize the police department to enforce speeding via radar camera.
Council gave the ordinance its second reading Monday night. It will come up for final passage next month.
Citations issued because of the camera will be civil rather than criminal, which means they will carry a fine but will not count against the speeder’s driving record. Drivers will have the option to contest the civil citation at an administrative hearing and could eventually take the appeal to Girard Municipal Court.
Girard’s proposed fee schedule is $150 for speeding in a marked construction zone and $100 for speeding under normal circumstances. There also are late fees of $25 or $50. Under Ohio law, the civil fee from the camera cannot be more than what the court fee would have been.
The Ohio Legislature passed Senate Bill 342 in 2014, which effectively banned the use of unmanned traffic cameras. Therefore, Girard’s cameras will need to be operated by a uniformed police officer. Under Ohio law, the minimum threshold for issuing a ticket is 10 miles per hour over the speed limit or six miles per hour over the limit in a school zone.
Additionally, both SB 342 and Girard’s proposed ordinance mandate that the city post signs informing motorists of the camera use.
Girard Police Chief Jeffrey Palmer said he believed the cameras would increase police efficiency, noting that the department employs 16 officers, though a city ordinance technically mandates 21 officers.
Councilman Stephen Brooks said the primary goal is to reduce accidents – especially fatal ones. Brooks denied that the program is intended as a money grab and said he’s heard complaints from residents about speeding, especially on U.S. Route 422.
The proposed ordinance stipulates revenue will be divided between the general fund and capital improvements for the police department, but council has not yet determined what the exact allocations will be.
“Any revenue would be a side benefit,” Mayor James Melfi said. “We’re not thinking about revenue. We’re thinking about safety.”
If the ordinance passes, Girard would enter into a contract with a private company and negotiate what portion of fee revenue will go the city and what portion will go to the company.
Neighboring Youngstown has been operating a similar program since August 2015. Under Youngstown’s contract, a company called OptoTraffic provides the cameras and mails the tickets. OptoTraffic receives 35 percent of fine revenue and Youngstown gets 65 percent.
In other business, council passed emergency legislation to establish a downtown design review board and a downtown design review district. Owners or lessees must seek approval from the board for exterior building changes. The board’s stated purpose is to beautify Girard’s downtown and preserve historical character.
Additionally, Melfi announced he has not yet signed an animal tethering ordinance into law. Council voted to amend the ordinance earlier this month. Melfi is seeking an additional amendment to prohibit housing “edible farm animals, horses and ponies” anywhere within city limits, rather than just in residential areas. Council placed the mayor’s requested amendment on the agenda for the next regular meeting, April 11.