CLEVELAND HEIGHTS --
City council unanimously voted Dec. 17 to increase fines for several parking offenses by $5 beginning Jan. 1.
The boost applies to the following offenses, with each price listed reflecting the new initial fine:
- parking in truck loading zones - $20
- parking in bus zones - $25
- parking during posted rush hours - $30
- blocking a drive - $20
- parking on private of public property - $20
- unlawful parking in meter zone - $20
Late payment (after 72 hours, after 60 days) penalty rates will also be raised by $5.
Acting City Manager Susanna O'Neil said the changes were made upon a recommendation by Chief of Police Jeff Robertson. Parking fines were last increased in 2008, she said. The legislation states the hikes are necessary to "deter unlawful parking."
Councilman Jason Stein, chair of council's public safety and health committee, said the new rates are in line with those of Cleveland and surrounding municipalities. With strict parking enforcement a sensitive issue in the city's denser areas where spaces are at a premium, he rejected the characterization of the increases as a cash grab.
"That's not the purpose, to be a revenue stream," he said. "It's to uphold the law."