INDReporter

Council approves SafeLight violations ordinance

by Walter Pierce

The City-Parish Council on Tuesday approved an introductory ordinance that, if approved as a final ordinance in two weeks, will allow the city-parish attorney to subcontract with lawyers to file suit agaisnt people who have unpaid citations issued through the SafeLight/SafeSpeed programs as well as outstanding parking tickets.

The City-Parish Council on Tuesday approved an introductory ordinance that, if approved as a final ordinance in two weeks, will allow the city-parish attorney to subcontract with lawyers to file suit agaisnt people who have unpaid citations issued through the SafeLight/SafeSpeed programs as well as outstanding parking tickets.

The ordinance, earlier deferred as council members sought answers on how the cost of collecting past-due fines would be shouldered - Lafayette Consolidated Government and Redflex, the company that administers the traffic camera program, share revenue; the contract between the two will be amended so that Redflex also shares the cost of taking scofflaws to court.

The threshold for legal action will $125 in unpaid fines, although the council plans to offer an amnesty period before resorting to court action during which time motorists with unpaid fines and late fees will have the late fees waived if they pay the fines.

Nearly 30,000 citations are currently outstanding representing about $2 million dollars - $3 million if late fees are factored in - in revenue.

Click here to watch a video of last night's meeting, or read more at The Advocate here.