Proposal would double city parking fines

FINDLAY — Findlay's parking fines may soon double. At Wednesday's regular meeting of Findlay City Council, Service-Safety Director Rob Martin introduced a proposal to raise the fines. The proposal was referred by council to its Streets, Sidewalks and Parking Committee for further discussion. Committee members include councilmen Josh Palmer, R-7, chairman, Jim Niemeyer, R-6, and Gran Russel, R-at-large. In a letter to council dated April 24, Martin said the city's current base fine of $5 for a single parking violation has remained unchanged for many years. "After a thorough review of current parking patterns in Findlay, a comparative analysis of similar Ohio municipalities and an internal assessment of the operational needs of our parking enforcement division, I am recommending a revision to this longstanding fee structure," Martin said. Martin said the cost of maintaining the Findlay Police Department's Parking Enforcement Division, including equipment, staffing and administration, has steadily increased, while the fines have remained unchanged. Findlay began subsidizing the division to correct a $10,000 operating deficit after city workers received their pay raise for this year. According to the letter, the proposed changes to the fee structure would include: • Increasing the initial base timed violation fine from $5 to $10.• Subsequent hourly violations would increase by $5 increments.• Increasing the initial base parking violation fine from $10 to $20.• Late fee for delinquent payment exceeding 72 hours would remain at $25.• Fine structure for handicap parking violations would remain at $250. "This new structure not only better reflects the true cost of enforcement, but also encourages timely compliance with parking rules and allows the departments to recoup some of their growing operational costs," he said. To ensure the proposed changes are both "reasonable and competitive," Martin said rates were compared to other cities. He said the proposed rate change for Findlay's base fine is well within regional norms, particularly for initial violations. Martin said Bowling Green charges $10 for metered violations, which increases to $20 if not paid promptly. The city also charges up to $35 for general parking violations. Lima charges seven dollars per offense, which increases to $15 after 72 hours and $20 after 10 days. Dublin charges a flat rate of $67 per violation.