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<br /> <br />NEW QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMISSION AND CITY STAFF <br /> <br />1. Do we want to change the amount of time citizens are granted to pay fines and is that <br />under the purview of the Charter? <br /> <br />The City Code presently requires that an administrative offense be paid <br />within 7 days. We start adding on late fees of $5 per week for every week <br />the fine remains unpaid. For County Citations, typically a person is <br />provided 21 days in which to pay. My suggestion, if there is a desire to <br />modify this, would be that we provide 30 days to pay the fine rather than <br />7, and then AFTER the 30 days, if the recipient has not otherwise <br />appealed the AO or scheduled a hearing, rather than charging a $5 <br />weekly fee that after one year could total an additional $260, we charge a <br />one-time flat late fee penalty of $50. <br /> <br />2. What is an Administrative Rule? <br /> <br />An administrative rule is a provision, regulation or requirement imposed by <br />the administrative body—the City Council. <br /> <br />3. Should we or Can we use the fee schedule on which to define the offenses <br />included? <br /> <br />No--the fee schedule would not be an appropriate document within which <br />to include definitions. To the extent necessary to differentiate one fine or <br />fee from another, then yes, some level of explanation might be in order, <br />but in my opinion, definitions are better left in the City Code. In some <br />instances we have added Code references to some sections of the fee <br />schedule to make it easier to refer back to the governing language. (e.g., <br />See Chapter 502 of the City Code.) <br /> <br />4. Where are the late charges for unpaid fines specified? <br /> <br />I conducted a cursory search of the City Code and the latest fee schedule <br />did not find reference to what the late fee is. This *should* be reflected in <br />the fee schedule adopted annually by the Council, and I would assert that <br />a $5 per week late fee is both cumbersome to track and potentially more <br />expensive in the long run. See my response to question #1. <br /> <br />5. A comparison of the language in 702.02 and 104.01 seems to show a discrepancy of <br />dollar maximums for fines: ie, misdemeanors = $700.00 and Administrative Offenses = <br />$100. <br /> <br />There is no discrepancy. This reflects the two different mechanisms by <br />which a person can be cited. If an officer (or other designated staff <br />member) writes a Ramsey County Court Citation for a violation of Code, it <br />is considered misdemeanor, punishable up to $700 and/or 90 days in jail. <br />For the same violation logged as an admin offense, the fine is $100. It