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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 01221991 - 2.1 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 5 L �,,E.....; ..._.oF Contra FROM: Kiri Torre, County Municipal Court Administrat '' s Costa .4��_. . .o� County 7•. ,� DATE: Tr-------`- January 22, 1991 SUBJECT: MUNICIPAL COURTS ' PARKING AMNESTY PROGRAM f, SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I RECOMMENDATION 1 . DECLARE the month of February, 1991 to be parking amnesty month in Contra Costa County. 2 . ADOPT resolution implementing the one-time parking amnesty program for outstanding parking citations that are subject to penalties and DMV holds . tl FINANCIAL IMPACT The County' s share of the anticipated revenue should be about $175,000, which is 25% of the original bail on delinquent parking citations . This revenue has been budgeted to offset the State 's earlier reductions in trial court funding and AB90 program funds for the DA Diversion Program. I REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS / BACKGROUND A Parking Amnesty �Program for the four municipal courts will help reduce the backlog of delinquent cases . Over 100,000 delinquent parking citations reside on the Courts ' automated parking system, which take up valuable computer space and increase operating expenses . (See attachment. ) i CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON JdriUdYy 22, 1991 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER I 14 VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: ATTESTED Municipal Court Administration PHI BATCHELOR,6rERKOFTHE BOARD OF Judge Norris SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR County Administrator ,�,. 1' ' BY ^�*� DEPUTY M382 (10/88) IN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COMM, STATE OF CALIFORNIA In the Matter of Implementing ) a Parking Amnesty Program ) RESOLUTION NO. 91/64 WHEREAS there are over 100,000 delinquent parking citations which have been issued in Contra Costa County but which for one reason or another were not paid; and WHEREAS those unpaid parking citations after 30 days subject the vehicle owners not only to the fine for the parking citation but also to administrative charges and penalties; and WHEREAS after a parking citation remains unpaid for more than 90 days the California Department of Motor Vehicles (hereinafter the "DMV") places a Hold on renewals of registration of vehicles belonging to that person subject to the outstanding parking citations; and WHEREAS these Holds often discourage owners from renewing vehicle registration, those citizens who have outstanding parking citations tend to continue to disregard the law, and continual disregard of the law undermines the integrity of the legal processes; and WHEREAS many citizens have expressed an interest in clearing their records but find that the penalties have become onerous and they are unable to pay both the penalties and the outstanding charges; and WHEREAS the Contra Costa County Municipal Courts intend to institute a parking amnesty program in order to reduce the backlog of older unprocessed cases with Holds resulting from failure to appear or pay; and WHEREAS this program will be implemented in conjunction with the implementation of the new Auto-Cite Program which provides for the towing of vehicles with five or more delinquent parking citations received within Contra Costa County; and WHEREAS the full bail amount on all citations will be rolled back to the original bail amounts during the amnesty program period in accordance with Vehicle Code Section 40511 and Penal Code Section 1275; and WHEREAS the amnesty program has been designed to minimize the inconvenience to and burden on the orderly operation of the offices of the Municipal Courts while facilitating the clearing of unpaid parking citations; and the Municipal Courts have the funding within their budgets necessary to conduct the amnesty program; NOW THEREFORE IT IS RESOLVED that the Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County SUPPORTS the Municipal Courts in implementing a one-time amnesty program for outstanding parking citations that are subject to penalties and DMV Holds; IT IS FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Supervisors will take reasonable steps to assist the Municipal Courts in publicizing the availability of this amnesty program so as to maximize its effectiveness. PASSED on January 22, 1991 by unanimous vote of the Board members present. I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of an order entered on the minutes of said Board of Supervisors on the date aforesaid. Witness my hand and the Seal of the Board of Supervisors affixed this 22nd day of January, 1991. PHIL BATCHELOR, Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and County Administrator By: Deputy Clerk RESOLUTION NO. 91/64 Administrative Office Contra Judicial Districts of Costa Bay the Municipal Courts County Delta 2020 North Broadway, Room 204 Mt.Diablo Walnut Creek,California 94596 Walnut Creek-Danville (415)646-6007 s_ c Kiri Torre County Municipal Court ' Administrator nu 3 ST'S COl1R'� January 4, 1991 Board of .Supervisors Contra Costa County 651 Pine Street Martinez, CA 94553' RE: PARKING AMNESTY PROGRAM AWARENESS MONTH (January l - May 31, 1991) Members of the Board: The four Municipal Courts have instituted a Parking Amnesty Program designed to reduce the backlog of older cases with DMV "holds" placed on an owner's vehicle reg=istration resulting from failure to appear or pay. We trust that the program can also generate additional revenue for the cities and the County of Contra Costa. Attached is a description of the Amnesty Program and a copy of the order signed by each Presiding Judge in the four Municipal Courts. To be successful, it is critical that the program receive ample publicity throughout the County. Judge Allen Norris, Chair of the Municipal Court Judges' Association requests your assistance by recognizing the month of February as PARKING; AMNESTY PROGRAM AWARENESS MONTH. Judge Norris would like to hold a joint press conference with Board members to announce the Amnesty Program in late January. If the Board members are agreeable, please have someone from your staff contact me to set up the joint press conference. We look forward to working with the Board members and the County Administrator's Office in making the Amnesty Program a success for the County, the Cities and the citizens of Contra Costa County. Sincerely, Kiri Torre, County Municipal Court Administrator KT:dw KL-90-140 Attachments cc: All Judges and Commissioners Phil Batchel!'or, County Administrator Julie Enea, County Administrator's Office -- All District Court Managers P ARK=N G AMNESTY P R O GRAM PURPOSE : A Parking Amnesty!I', Program for the four municipal courts will help reduce the backlog of delinquent cases . Over 100 , 000 delinquent parking citations'' reside on our automated parking system, which take up valuable computer space and increase our operating expenses . AMNESTY PERIOD : In order to achieve maximum success , with minimal impact on Clerk' s Office operations , only uncontested delinquent and current parking citations would be accepted and processed in the amnesty program. jIf a defendant wishes to appear in court to resolve a delinquent parking citation, he/she may do so without the benefit of an, automatic roll back to the original fine amount. The Amnesty Program would span a three month period, as outlined in the last section of this proposal . ANTICIPATED REVENUE : The County' s share of this unanticipated revenue should be about $175 , 000; 25 percent of the County' s share of the original bail on delinquent parking citations equalling $730 , 191 . This revenue would be used to offset the County' s proposed $60 ,470 reduction in the Municipal Court Trial Court Funding program resulting from the State' s reduction in the block grants and the reduction in the AB 90 Program' funds for the DA Diversion Program. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS : 1 . Amnesty would apply only to defendants with delinquent parking citations and would be processed with any current citations inf the system. 2 . Parking violations eligible under this program would be rolled back to the original bail amount, pursuant to Sections 40511 CVC & 1275 PC and an Amnesty Program Order from the Courts . 3 . The Program would apply only to straight bail forfeitures submitted by! mail . Time payments would not be allowed. Defendants wishing to appear in court would not be eligible for the Amnesty Program. 4 . Vehicle registration holds will be cleared at DMV on the Monday following receipt and processing of payment. l Parking Amnesty Program Page 2 SUMMARY OF PROCESS : 1. Person obtains amnesty form or media copy. Person completes form and mails to Central Administration post office box by deadline . 2 . Central Administration staff processes mail inquiries and aeiierates response letters identifying all citations issued to date withI, a total current bail amount and a total amnesty bail amount. ' 3 . Staff scans each response, folds, and stuffs into window envelope along with payment envelope. Responses mailed. i 4 . Payment envelopes received, logged and processed by Administration Staff mail team. 5 . Administration staff summarize statistical data, and release information to interested parties . ACTION PLAN: Aug. 1990 - Obtain Judicial approval for the Program and its components. Sep. 1990 - Notify the Board of Supervisors of the Amnesty Program and its goals . Oct. to Dec . 1990 - Develop and print forms . Finalize procedures . Modify parking system as necessary to generate proper notices . Notify local citing agencies of the Amnesty program and give projected revenue figures . Prepare draft press releases to promote the Amnesty Program for television, radio and newspapers . Train staff in procedures for processing amnesty cases . Parking Amnesty Program Page 3 Jan 1 , 1991 - Start program. Begin media coverage by television, radio and newspapers . Jan 15 , 1991 - Begin processing written inquiries on amnesty eligible cases . Feb 4 , 1991 - Begin mailing responses to inquiries . Responses to be mailed daily. Feb 8 , 1991 - Begin processing amnesty payments . Mar 15 , 1991 - Deadline for postmarking of inquiries . Apr 30, 1991 - Tentative date for the close of the program by processing the last payments . May 13 , 1991 - Completion of statistical reports . (Rev. 12/13/90) Y ' BAY JUDICIAL DISTRICT O RD E R E S TAB 1_.= S H 3E NG F=NE AMOUNT FO R NFRACT=ON AMNESTY P ROGR AM (Vehicle Code Section 40511 and Penal Code Section 1275 ) WHEREAS, Vehicle Code Section 40511 in accordance with Penal Code Section 1275 authorizes a judicial officer to fix an amount of bail in parking violation cases; and WHEREAS. there are over 100 , 000 delinquent parking citations which have been issued in, Contra Costa County but which for one reason or another were not paid; and WHEREAS, thoselunpaid parking citations after 30 days subject the vehicle owners not only to the fine for the parking citation, but also to administrative charges and penalties; and WHEREAS, afterj, a parking citation remains unpaid for more than 90 days, the California Department of Motor- Vehicles (hereinafter the "DMV" ) Dlace a hold on renewals of registration of vehicles belonging to that person subject to the outstanding parking citations; and WHEREAS, theselholds often discourage owners from renewing vehicle registration; and WHEREAS, those citizens who have outstanding parking citations tend to continue to disregard the law; and WHEREAS, continual disregard of the law undermines the integrity of the legal processes ; and WHEREAS, many1citizens have expressed an interest in clearing their records but find that the -penalties have become onerous and they are unable to pay both the penalties and the outstanding charges; WHEREAS, the Contra Costa County Municipal Courts intend to institute a parking amnesty program in order to reduce the backlog of older unprocessed cases with holds resulting from failure to appear or pay; and WHEREAS, this program will be implemented in conjunction with the implementation of the new Auto-Cite Program which provides for the towing of vehicles with five or more delinquent parking citations received within Contra Costa County; IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that the full bail amount on all citations be rolled back to the original bail amounts during the amnesty program period in accordance with Vehicle Code Section 40511 and Penal Code Section 1275; and IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the amnesty period shall be from January 1 , 1991 through May 31 , 1991 . 41 D ate : �`Rre-siding Judge Bessie Dreibelbis Bay Municipal Court DELTA JUDICIAL DISTRICT ORD R E S TAB L= S H=NG F=NE AMOUNT FOR =N FRACT=ON AMNESTY P ROGRAM (Vehicle Code Section 40511 and Penal Code Section 1275 ) WHEREAS, Vehicle Code Section 40511 in accordance with Penal Code Section 1275 authorizes a judicial officer to fix an amount of bail in parking violation cases; and WHEREAS, therel,are over 100 , 000 delinquent parking citations which have been issued in 'Contra Costa County but which for one reason or another were not pain':d; and WHEREAS, those unpaid parking citations after 30 days subject the vehicle owners not only to the fine for the parking citation, but also to administrative charges and penalties; and WHEREAS, afer 'a parking citation remains unpaid for more than 90 days, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (hereinafter the "DMV" ) places a hold on renewals of registration of vehicles belonging to that person subject to tie outstanding parking citations; and WHEREAS, these holds often discourage owners from renewing vehicle registration; and WHEREAS, those citizens who have outstanding parking citations tend to continue to disregard the law; and WHEREAS, continual disregard of the law undermines the integrity of the legal processes;' and WHEREAS, many citizens have expressed an interest in clearing their records but find that the penalties have become onerous and they are unable to pay both the penalties and the outstanding charges; WHEREAS, the Contra Costa County Municipal Courts intend to institute a parking amnesty pr";ogram in order to reduce the backlog of older 11 unprocessed cases with holds resulting from failure to appear or pay, and WHEREAS, this pll'rogram will be implemented in conjunction with the implementation of the new Auto-Cite Program which provides for the towing of vehicles with five or more delinquent parking citations received within Contra Costa County; IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that the full bail amount on all citations be rolled back to the original bail amounts during the amnesty program period in accordance with Vehicle Code Section 40511 and Penal Code Section 1275; and IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the amnesty period shall be from January 1 , 1991 through May 31 , 1991 . Date : 01 /03 / 91 Presiding Judge Gerald Belleci Delta Municipal Court MOUNT DIABLO JUDICIAL DISTRICT ORDER IE: STABL2SH2NG FINE AM©LTNW' FOR INFRACT=DN AMNESTY PROGRAM (Vehicle Code Section 40511 and Penal Code Section 1275 ) WHEREAS, Vehicle Code Section 40511. in accordance with Penal Code Section 1275 authorizes a judicial officer to fix an amount of bail in parking violation cases; and WHEREAS, there+, are over 100 , 000 delinquent parking citations which have been issued in' Contra Costa County but which for one reason or another were not paid; and WHEREAS, those unpaid parking citations after 30 days subject the vehicle owners not only to the fine for the parking citation, but also to administrative charges and penalties; and WHEREAS, after! a parking citation remains unpaid for more than 90 days , the California Department of Motor Vehicles (hereinafter the "DMV" ) places a hold on renewals of registration of vehicles belonging to that person subject to the outstanding parking citations; and WHEREAS, these :. holds often discourage owners from renewing vehicle registration; and WHEREAS, those ,,icitizens who have outstanding parking citations tend i. to continue to disregard the law; and WHEREAS, continual disregard of the law undermines the integrity of the legal processes; and WHEREAS, manyli' citizens have expressed an interest in clearing their records but find that the penalties have become onerous and they are unable to pay both the penalties and the outstanding charges; WHEREAS, the Contra Costa County Municipal Courts intend to institute a parking amnesty grogram in order to reduce the backlog of older unprocessed cases with holds resulting from failure to appear or pay; and WHEREAS, this program will be implemented in conjunction with the implementation of the new Auto-Cite Program which provides for the towing of vehicles with five or more delinquent parking citations received within Contra Costa County; IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that the full bail amount on all citations be rolled back to the original bail amounts during the amnesty program period in accordance with Vehicle Code Section 40511 and Penal Code Section 1275; and IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the amnesty period shall be from January 1 , 1991 through May 31 , 1991 . Date : Presiding Judge Mark Simons Mount Diablo Municipal Court WALNUT CREEK-DANVILLE JUDICIAL DISTRICT C�RDE R E S TAB L 2 S H=NG F=NE AMOUNT FO R =NF3�ACT20�7 AMNESTY P'RCGRAM (Vehicle Code Section 40511 and Penal Code Section 1275 ) WHEREAS, Vehicle col- e S�ec-tion 'Nell in accordance o itii Penal Code Section 1275 authorizes a judicial officer to fix an amount of bail in parking violation cases; and WHEREAS, there �,are over 100 , 004 delinquent parking citations which have been issued in ,, Contra Costa County but which for one reason or another were not paid; and WHEREAS, those unpaid parking citations after 30 days subject the vehicle owners not only to the fine for the parking citation, but also to administrative charges and penalties; and WHEREAS, after '.a parking citation remains unpaid for more than 90 days , the California Department of Motor Vehicles (hereinafter the "DMV" ) places a hold on renewals of registration of vehicles belonging to that person subject to the outstanding parking citations; and WHEREAS, these molds often discourage owners from renewing vehicle registration; and WHEREAS, those :citizens who have outstanding parking citations tend to continue to disregard the law; and WHEREAS, continual disregard of the law undermines the integrity of the legal processes; and WHEREAS, many citizens have expressed an interest in clearing their records but find that the penalties have become onerous and they are unable to pay both the penalties and the outstanding charges; WHEREAS, the Contra Costa County Municipal Courts intend to institute a parking amnesty program in order to reduce the backlog of older unprocessed cases wil'th holds resulting from failure to appear or pay; and 1 WHEREAS, this grogram will be implemented in conjunction with the implementation of the new Auto-Cite Program which provides for the towing of vehicles with five or more delinquent parking citations received within Contra Costa County;, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that the full bail amount on all citations be rolled back to the original bail amounts during the amnesty program period in accordance with Vehicle Code Section 40511 and Penal Code Section 1275; and IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the amnesty period shall be from January 1 , 1991 through May 31 , 1991 . Date : d/f/ 96 Presiding Judge Merle Eaton Walnut Cre Danville Municipal Court