Disabled parking enforcement is again under the management of the City’s Military Affairs, Veterans and Disabled Services Department after a near unanimous vote Tuesday by City Council.
The legislation shifts the responsibilities of issuing citations for illegal parking in handicapped accessible spaces to the department from the Public Parking Division, where it was placed last year in a cost-saving measure.
The legislation passed 16-1, with Council member Matt Schellenberg opposing.
Council member Doyle Carter said the disabled parking auxiliary group, commonly known as “the parking posse,” worked better under the disabled services department.
The program trains members of the disabled community to issue the $250 fine for infractions under the guidance of a City parking enforcement specialist.
Of the collected fines, 70 percent are distributed to the City’s Handicap Parking Trust Fund and 30 percent to the Police and Fire Pension Fund.
With last year’s move, fewer fines were issued and the auxiliary officers lost leadership after the group’s supervisor was reassigned.
Carter said the legislation will help restore the level of enforcement while also providing an additional sense of purpose for members of the disabled community.
Council President Stephen Joost provided background and support.
“Talk about a public-private partnership, this is a bull’s-eye,” he said.
He said the program had been a model for other cities.
Schellenberg said that the parking division should be held accountable for any failure to properly administer the program and he opposed shifting the responsibilities.
The parking division should handle parking responsibilities and the right person should be put in place, he said.
Council member Don Redman said he had talked to members of the military affairs department and the disabled parking enforcers and that both thought the program worked better under disabled services.
With the change, the program will be led by department Director Victor Guillory.
In other action:
• Just before the meeting, Council members were briefed about Mayor Alvin Brown’s economic reform legislation, which was introduced at the meeting. Several members declined to comment until they read the legislation.
• Though it failed in two committees last week, a measure was postponed that would require Council meetings to be broadcast live or delayed on a public or cable network and to authorize funding and contracting for it. The postponement came at the request of its sponsor, Council member Reggie Brown, who wants to hold a noticed meeting for further discussion. The bill contends that segments of the population are still without access.
• After much discussion at the committee level, two appointments were confirmed. Glenn Hansen is the City’s new budget officer and Jim Schock is the City’s new building inspection chief.
• Linda Lanier, former executive director of the Jacksonville Children’s Commission, and Neil Armingeon, former St. Johns Riverkeeper, were honored with framed resolutions for their community involvement.
• In addition to Brown’s economic reform legislation, several ordinances were introduced. Among them were an economic development agreement between the City and Bi-Lo to support relocation of the grocer’s headquarters to Jacksonville with a $2 million “Recaptured Enhanced Value” grant; an ordinance to appropriate $9,120 from the Council president’s account to fund parking for Council members at City Hall; and legislation to amend the City Charter that three, instead of two, members of the Police and Fire Pension Board be appointed by Council and eliminating the trustee appointed member.
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