Mammoth Lakes PD Wants to Up the Ante on Parking Violations
Mammoth Lakes Police Department presented its solution to the on-going issue of bad parking habits by both locals and visitors: make it hurt.
Some people simply use the current $45 fee for parking violations as the cost to park, explained Interim Police Chief Dan Casabian at last week’s Town Council meeting. With a few exceptions, $45 currently covers most parking violations. The exceptions are $330 for parking in a handicapped zone without the appropriate stickers, $110 for obstructing snow removal and $75 for parking at a fire hydrant or in a fire lane. Those fines will escalate to $410, $220 and $150 respectively.
The traditional $45 fines will jump to $110. Casabian proposed a November 1 start date on the fine increases, providing enough time to let people know how seriously the Department will be taking violations. He told the Council the Department of Motor Vehicles is the higher authority on vehicular issues, including parking. If the violations are approved, Casabian said the plan included starting with warnings before the increased fee hammer falls.
Apparently, folks have come up with creative ways to get around current parking restrictions. Casabian mentioned leaving the engine running with an occupant in the car, a technique used by people who explain they just needed to run into a store to pick up something. There are currently no vehicle codes that give the picker-uppers a pass to park illegally.
Also under consideration: parking passes for locals. Casabian cited locals who move their vehicles to the street to clear their driveways.
Towing illegally parked vehicles hasn’t been very effective, Casabian explained, since the Town only has one tow vehicle. On a busy ski weekend, that lone vehicle could be hauling illegally parked vehicles all day long and still not make much of a dent.
Council members were generally in support of the increases, as long as the Police Department mounted a strong public information effort to guarantee locals are sufficiently fore warned.
The agenda item was information only and will be back on a future agenda for a vote.
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MLPD won’t and can’t enforce parking rules….if they did, they’d get a backlash from the tourists,and from the business’ that rely on tourism…
I can remember some business’ along HWY 395 complaining about speeding tickets, DUI’s and drug arrests being issued to the travelers going to Burning Man a few years ago, fearing if Law Enforcement does this, those driving through our HWY 395 areas without free reigns will choose another route getting to Nevada,therefore cutting into the all-mighty tourist $$$$…
The main reason for the uproar about the Burning Man people getting jacked by Mono County deputies was because they were stopping obvious burners with zero probable cause , looking for drugs , guns, and whatever else they could find . Bennett did an entire series of stories on the illegal searches by Mono County personnel , which was during the OBie administration , and eventually put an end to all the un-constitutional stops and searches . It also had an effect on Obi’es re-election (OOPS, he was never elected) . Thankfully , there’s a new sheriff in town , who plays by the rules and the Constitution .
and
Rick, the ironic thing about that whole burning man saturation patrol issue was that it wasn’t even Ralph Obenberger (Obie) who arranged it, or had a hand in it. It was the now Lt. who arranged the whole deal. That same Lt. even put out a memo to all staff notifying them any vacation or time off requests during that time period would be denied….Obenberger just took the fall for it.
You supported the heavy handed, often illegal, methods of law enforcement then and now. The stop and show me your papers roadblocks/checkpoints. At Bridgeport for Burners, and also the DFW requiring all traffic on the highway to submit to inspection.
Not many locals complained about law enforcement doing their job. They complained about the misuse of resources and power to profile citizens. Running political dog and pony shows instead of patrolling and policing effectively.
Pedro
Don’t know what you mean by saying “you supported yada,yada,yada “…
I’ve never supported “stop and show your papers”,if you’re refering to immigration..
Checkpoints, I do think they are a good idea,since I’ve seen what drinking and driving can do on a first -hand basis, long ago losing my Brother to a drunk driver,and not so long ago,having a job doing a couple accident clean-ups on the highway caused by drunk drivers.
The DFW comment, don’t know what you mean at all about that.I don’t think DFW should do “traffic stops ” at all,think their job should be DFW only,allowed to check fishing license and limits, but not lights and sirens on HWY 395…if they were to do that, MANY easy ways to get out of that citation and fine…
The Burner issue, the last thing we need in Inyo and Mono Counties are the speeders coming from SoCal thinking few to no consequences if their speeding includes possession of drugs and use of alcohol on their journey to Nevada…
The sierrawave saturation patrol articles and comments are still there.
Again, no one objected to proper traffic stops. They objected to questionable “checkpoints” and improper stops.
…and another thing, you locals who are friends with some of our officers, you are no true friend when you put an officer in a position where he/she has to choose whether to cite you or not for parking illegally and as self centered as some of our visitors. You know who you are, small business owners, auto mechanics, fly fishing guides and others.
Tinner
I can remember years ago (in the 80’s ) in Lone Pine,at Whitney Portals,tourists parking,camping and doing as they pleased while they hiked Whitney….blocking the road,trash blowing around,etc….
“No Parking” signs were ignored…..until the day came that Miller’s Towing was put to work one week-end…
They hooked-up and hauled-off 13 or so vehicles that had no one around to move them when told to by Law Enforcement…
Can you imagine ?…hiking Whitney….returning to your vehicle illegally parked,hoping for a Gatorade to drink…and seeing your vehicle was gone,and had been towed away,along with all of your supplies inside, and having to pay,I think John Miller said the $350.00 tow-bill to get your vehic;le back ?
Message sent……hope they enjoyed their hike ..LOL !!!
Blowing smoke, I’ll believe it when I see it.
I don’t see anything changing until another tow truck is purchased and at least one or two full time parking enforcement officers are hired and they’re driving around enforcing parking violations in marked parking enforcement trucks. Until then, this is all talk, just telling us what we want to hear.
Even a parked, unattended parking enforcement truck strategically placed with lights rolling (at the Village or Vons) would deter people from parking illegally.
Dan Holler, Town Counsel, don’t be afraid to cite our visitors, they’ll come back because this is flipping Mammoth Mountain and “there is no substitution” this close to SoCal. Mammoth is the place to be! They’ll make the best of, they’ll bring their skis, snowboards and mountain bikes and stay for a few days when they come back to fight that citation, “mo money mo money mo money!”