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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 07/20/1999 - SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 114, 1999, APPROPR j AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 12 DATE: July 20, 1999 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF' Rita Davis/ Jim O'Neill SUBJECT: Second Reading of Ordinance No. 114, 1999,Appropriating Unanticipated Revenue in the General Fund for the Use of Camera Radar and Red-Light Cameras to Enforce Traffic Violations. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinance on Second Reading. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Ordinance No. 114, 1999, which was unanimously adopted on First Reading on July 6, 1999, appropriates revenue received through the camera radar and red light enforcement systems to be used to fulfill the City's obligations under its agreement with ATS and the balance of the revenue received would be utilized to defray costs incurred by the City in connection with its use of the camera radar and red-light camera systems or other programs intended to address the City's current traffic problems. I � AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY ITEM NUMBER: 19 A-B i DATE: July 6, 1999 FORT COLLINS CITY COUNCIL STAFF: Rita Davis/ Jim O'Neill SUBJECT: Items Relating to Camera Radar and Red-Light Camera Enforcement Systems. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends adoption o e Reso tion ' oyoerdinance on First Reading. FINANCIAL, IMPACT: In using camera radar and red-light cameras("traffic cameras")during the remainder of the year,the City estimates that it will receive approximately$284,475 in unanticipated revenue. This would be offset by contract payments totaling $210,470 to American Traffic Systems (ATS) for equipment provided and services rendere&4111 e e`iung,baraiice�f�tiiianf ipated revenue of$74,005 will C be used to pay costs incurred the r " s M cipal Gourt,`jote Services, Traffic Engineering and City Attorney's Office rel d tothe tale of trfiameras r programs intended to address the City's current traffic probI EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A. Resolution 99-81 Approving Extension of the ATS-REDFLEX, LLC (American Traffic Systems) Agreement as an Exception to the Competitive Purchasing Process. * "Ti— T B. First Reading of Ordiprtce No� 14, 199, rrop" ig Unanticipated Revenue in the General Fund for the se of C era Rad� and Relight Cameras to Enforce Traffic Violations. r, F American Traffic Systems (ATS) was selected to provide the City with Traffic Camera services using a competitive process. The agreement between the City and ATS was originally written for terms totaling three years,beginning in July of 1996. At the time it was anticipated that staff would conduct another competitive process this year if the program was to continue. After the initial award to ATS the General Assembly, in 1997, enacted SB-36,which restricted the use of camera radar in several respects. The most important of these, setting the maximum fine to $40 and limiting how cities can compensate vendors providing such services, required that the City/ATS agreement be restructured significantly. This was done and the program continued through 1998 and into the current year. DATE: July 6, 1999 2 ITEM NUMBER: 19 A-B In 1999 the General Assembly,in HB-1364,placed further restrictions on camera radar. A copy of the camera radar photograph must be included in initial mailing; personal service,when required, must be done by a Level 1 peace officer;a sign must be placed so as to warn motorists immediately in advance of the camera unit; and the structure for fines imposed for violations was changed considerably. ATS will have to make considerable modifications to the system software and both parties will have to alter processing procedures. ATS has offered to make the system and software changes at no cost to the City,in exchange for a one year extension to the existing agreement. The general climate of the General Assembly remains hostile toward camera radar and it is yet uncertain whether the program can, in the long run, be operated successfully under the, estn&iotts impose `b B HB-1364. The General Assembly has sh wn epe inte o f impos' further regulation on the use of camera radar, perhaps even banning it entirely. Under the circumstances, staff believes that an extension of the ATS/City agreement is in the best interest of the City.Until the continued viability of the program is known,other vendors will be hesitant to propose this type of service. In addition, the City is reluctant to invest the time and resources involved in a new proposal and possible vendor switch for a potentially short time period. Citizen demands that the City do something to slow down traffic led directly to the current program. Over the life of the project compliance with speed limits has more than doubled,the total accident rate has decreased by 3.80/(, in14��#ry aoci to g e down by 22%. The Police Department considers this to b9a bene tal progi ou�1 Cee to extend the contract through the year 2000, with the optio�of a cne a #extensickouncil's approval of Resolution 99-81 would authorize that one-y eactens?on. Ordinance No. 114, 1999,would appropriate the revenue received through the camera radar and red light enforcement systems. The bulk of the revenue would be utilized to fulfill the City's obligations under its agreement with ATS. The balance of the revenue received would be utilized to defray costs incurred by the City in connection with its use of the camera radar and red-light camera systems or other programs intended to address the City's current traffic problems. Each year since the inception of the program, appropriated funds have been earmarked for these purposes. In previous years, however,the appropriations ordindifts ha#especified outitt to be used to defray City costs should be used only for "addr�onal" ° mcu re in nn iiun with these programs. Staff is recommending that the language of this 4,rdinad6e be changed clarify that monies received from the program from its inception;'htid not meed€d to-satisfy the'City's contractual obligations with ATS, can be used to offset any costs incurred by the Municipal Court, Police Services, Traffic Engineering and the City Attorney's Office in connection with these or other traffic control programs.