BELFAST — Following Rockland's example, the city of Belfast Police Department is preparing to take a bite out of its unpaid parking fine balance with both carrots and sticks.

"I did not try to reinvent the wheel," said Belfast Police Chief Mike McFadden. "Fortunately, the folks in Rockland invented the wheel and I took what they already accomplished, and it seems to be working well for them, and I hope it works well for us too."

Belfast's unpaid parking violations currently total just shy of $15,000, which equates to 3,000 unpaid $5 parking fines. The top 10 violators owe a combined total of $2,000, with each of the 10 having been issued between 15 and 48 parking tickets that they have never paid.

"These are not $20, $30, $40 parking tickets like elsewhere, these are $5 tickets and it's just ridiculous to accumulate so many. It's a complete and utter disregard for the law," said McFadden.

Ignoring the law, as it pertains to parking on municipal streets as well as the need to pay the fine for the infraction, is not only thumbing the law but hurting downtown businesses that rely on the availability of free public parking for customers, said McFadden.

Recent changes to the city's parking ordinance to make fines stiffer is geared toward encouraging locals not to park long term in front of downtown businesses and to encourage drivers to move along and free spaces for others. Ordinance changes have also been made to the language as it pertains to handling delinquent parking violation fees.

In addtion, McFadden is taking a page from Rockland's playbook and offering an amnesty period for anyone holding an outstanding parking ticket to pay it off at a discounted rate. In Rockland, Police Chief Bruce Boucher instituted an amnesty period that waived late fees on outstanding parking tickets, but Belfast doesn't have late fees or its late fee langauge in the ordinace was not clear, so McFadden modified the amnesty program to suit his city's situation.

Starting June 1, there is a 30 percent discount for all past due parking ticket fees. For example, if someone has three tickets, or $15 worth, they would pay $10.50 during the amnesty period to clear it up.

Belfast's amnesty will last through the month, and beginning on July 1, the city will reach back into the database and send warning letters to the top offenders, advising them they are delinquent and that they have seven days to respond by either scheduling an appointment with the chief to dispute the parking tickets or to make arrangements for payment.

"If they fail to resolve within seven days, their name and vehicle identification number will go on a lit to be booted," said McFadden. "At which point the parking enforcement personnel will be looking for their cars throughout the entire city. As long as it's on public property, it's liable. We are not going into parking lots or in private driveways."

If a car that has been affixed with a disabling device, or "boot," for at least eight hours with no contact is then towed, the owner is responsible for paying the towing and storage fee. McFadden said towing ranges from $50-$60 and storage is $25-$30 per day.

"Those towing and storage fees will need to be paid in addition to the outstanding parking violating fees before the owner can get their car back," said McFadden.

But all of this can be avoid by the car's owner, said McFadden, by taking care of their obligations.

Changes to the parking ordinance won't be enforced until the changes are added to the city's website, which could take a month or more, including parking violation fee increases. A $5 ticket for parking longer that the allowed, posted time is now $10. And if that $10 fine is not paid within 30 days, it automatically becomes a $25 fine. The fine for parking in a handicap parking space is now $25, as is the fine for blocking a fire hydrant.

There are also new bright orange tickets, which no longer require the ticket holder to buy an envelope to put the fine in the mail. The new tickets are self-mailing. And the city has also taken a another lenient stance on the enforcement side of the new parking violation fines.

"If this is your first parking ticket of the year, the ticket will say, 'Please discard and consider this a warning,'" said McFadden. "We are being soft on the start of this. But we are also hoping that we will achieve a situation where people don't get tickets and that tickets don't become delinquent."

McFadden said he has spoken with many community members about the parking issue in town and heard that it's an issue for everyone — one way or another — who comes downtown to work, visit or shop.

"We need to meet the challenge here with new language in the ordinance and new enforcement. It won't be for lack of trying on our part. It's very transparent. It's very fair. It gives people the opportunity to argue their tickets and the amnesty period gives people time to settle up at a discounted rate and we can move on," said McFadden.

McFadden also said that the city is not leaving people "stranded" with no other parking options, especially for downtown workers and those needing to park for longer periods of time than allowed on the street.

"If people who visit the downtown are not aware of them, the parking enforcement people are there to help them find a place to park. They are very visible, with tan pants and blue polo shirts and traffic vests," said McFadden. "Ask them, because they are not just parking ticket machines. They are there to help you avoid getting a parking ticket in the first place."

Related story:

• Got a parking ticket? Here is your chance to make good without paying late fees

———————————————————————————

Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards can be reached by email at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com or by calling 207-706-6655.