By Hannah Gray
Three weeks ago, senior Scott Larkoski came back to his car to find a ticket on the windshield. The $25 ticket was for improper display of a UP parking permit.
Larkoski and his roommate carpool, but they often switch whose car they take. So they put the permit on the dash, instead of sticking it on the lower left side of the windshield, which is the required spot of the parking permit.
"If someone gets a citation, they have three choices: choose to pay the citation, choose to not pay the citation or appeal the citation," said Harold Burke-Sivers, the director of Public Safety.
Since Larkoski didn't believe the ticket was reasonable, he filled out an appeal form through Public Safety.
A couple of weeks later, he pleaded his case to the members of the Traffic Appeals Board, which found Larkoski guilty, but canceled his fine, with the understanding that he would stick the parking permit to the required spot in the future.
The Traffic Appeals Board, a volunteer-based group made up of UP staff members and one student, convenes monthly, and makes decisions independently of Public Safety, according to Heidi Keller, a member of the Traffic Appeals Board and director of Student Accounts.
"Public Safety people have no influence on our decision," Keller said. "They don't tell us anything about the cases we have."
However, Public Safety does produce the permits to park on campus, administers the tickets and provides appeal forms, according to Burke-Sivers.
Traffic violation fines range from $25-$195, depending on the severity of the violation.
The $195 fine is for parking in a spot reserved for the disabled without a disabled person parking permit.
Other fines are for speeding, parking in fire lanes and careless driving, according to Burke-Sivers.
Parking is enforced between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on school days only.
In addition to on-campus parking, there are two off-campus "no parking" locations that Public Safety enforces.
While those areas include streets that are technically public, Public Safety has an agreement with the Neighborhood Association to enforce such spots - North Willamette Boulevard and North Princeton Street between North Olin Avenue and North Wall Avenue, as well as North Warren Street and North Willamette Lane between North Monteith Avenue and North Wall Avenue.
"We want to create a good rapport with our neighbors," Burke-Sivers said.
The two "no parking" areas are enforced to ensure the residents of the homes have a place to park, according to Burke-Sivers.
Burke-Sivers said traffic violations are enforced because it wouldn't be fair if one person paid for a permit and others did not. The cost of permits ranges from $50 to $200, depending on location and circumstances.
After the appeals go to the Traffic Appeals Board, the board reports its rulings to Public Safety, which then e-mails the individuals to notify them of the decisions.
The Traffic Appeals Board has the authority to reduce fines, exempt fines, keep the fine as is or double the fine, according to Keller.
"I would never double a fine without bringing it to the group," said Heather Hall Lewis, a member of the Traffic Appeals Board and financial aid counselor.
In the past 10 years, the Traffic Appeals Board has doubled the fine three times.
"It's not that common," Keller said.
Public Safety does make revenue from traffic violations.
For the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the University generated approximately $7,000 in traffic fine revenue, according to Rowena Bramlette, the director of budget for Financial Affairs.
"(The revenue) goes to offset our budget," Burke-Sivers said. "Offset some of the cost of our budget, as does vehicle registration."
Burke-Sivers also noted that Public Safety rarely makes its revenue target.
The members of the Traffic Appeals Board said they evaluate each appeal on a case-by-case system.
"There's not a formula for how we decide what we decide," Hall Lewis said. "It's rather subjective."
The Board members also noted that it is easy to tell when someone is angry in the appeals form.
"To me, that's like putting the blame on someone else," said Bramlette, who is also a member of the Traffic Appeals Board. "It's not a matter of raising money. It's a matter of enforcing safety rules."
There are certain things that the members of the Board said they do not let go - parking in the zone for disabled persons and in the fire zone.
Keller added that parking by Waldschmidt is another "no-no."
"It's nice when students write a very honest, candid appeal," Keller said.
Public Safety offers a carpool permit when two or more people sign up to use one car at a time.
"We actually give people money," Burke-Sivers said about the carpool permits. "We pay them as an incentive."
Each student who uses a carpool permit is paid $25 per semester.
"(You get) straight up cash, which comes from our budget," Burke-Sivers said.
The members of the Traffic Appeals Board believe the appeal process is beneficial to everyone.
"Better to learn here than in the City of Portland," said Jonathan Serimenti, a member of the board and the hall director for Schoenfeldt Hall. "We are much more forgiving and educational."
