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Wye sS /h C°anaa'a <br />MAYOR <br />Bill Blesener <br />COUNCIL <br />Jim LaValle <br />Rick Montour <br />Barbara Allan <br />John Keis <br />515 Little Canada Road, Little Canada, MN 55117 -1600 ADMINISTRATOR <br />(651) 766 -4029 / FAX: (651) 766 -4048 Joel R. Hanson <br />www.ci.little-canada.mn.us <br />TO: Mayor Blesener and Members of the City Council <br />FROM: Joel Hanson, City Administrator <br />DATE: November 17, 2006 <br />SUBJECT: Administrative Fines Legislation <br />As you know, we recently considered the adoption of administrative fines per a <br />recommendation of the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department. However, due to the <br />apparent lack of legal standing to initiate such a system, we did not pursue it. <br />The City of Mounds View had implemented a system similar to the one proposed by the <br />RCSD. They are now seeking support to achieve statutory authority for this system. <br />(See copy of e -mail from City Administrator Kurt Ulrich.) <br />I strongly support this concept due to the ability to address issues at less costs and <br />penalties to violators than statutory offenses, especially those that would not likely <br />receive a citation for statutory offense. While revenue generation is one possible benefit <br />of this type of system, I believe the primary objective is to give law enforcement a tool to <br />address violations without being as punitive financially. It provides a way to send a <br />message that many times would not occur due to the consequences of state offenses. <br />Some of the benefits other cities have claimed as the result of an administrative offense <br />ordinance include: <br />• A more streamlined process for minor traffic violations. <br />• Administrative penalties are lower than those imposed by the court systems and there <br />is no impact to a violator's traffic record. <br />• All penalty revenue would be retained by the City <br />• Lessen impact of minor traffic violations on the court system. (In our case, this may <br />not be true as the offenses we are considering have not been cited to any great degree <br />in the past. <br />• Reduces Sheriff's deputies "court time" requirements which often take deputies off <br />the streets. <br />1 <br />