RED LIGHT CAMERAS The City Council...

RED LIGHT CAMERAS

The City Council will consider tonight a proposed contract with

Nestor Traffic Systems, which would allow the company to install red

light cameras at specific intersections and keep a portion of the

collected fines.

The council unanimously decided in September to go ahead with

plans to install cameras designed to catch drivers who run red

lights. Council members said it was the distinct signal delay feature

of the Nestor system -- which will keep cross traffic at bay if a car

is predicted to run a red light -- that won their endorsement.

City staff members have recommended a ‘’turnkey’’ program, in

which the company would install cameras at designated intersections

at no cost, in return for a portion of the fine resulting from a

violation. Nestor would receive $97.56 for every $271 fine captured

by the system, a staff report shows.

Similar surveillance systems are controversial in part because of

the agreements that cities sign with private companies that install

and operate the systems. The companies mail out the tickets and get a

share of the money collected from them.

The council has said it puts saving lives above any concerns about

profit-making.

Some previous audience members were not convinced. Speakers said

they had a problem with the large profit Nestor stands to make from

the system.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

The council is expected, once again, to give wholehearted

endorsement to the program. Some speakers will refuse to be dissuaded

and take advantage of the opportunity to formally speak out against

the system.

AUTHORITY CHECK

Councilman Gary Monahan will ask the council to consider an

amendment to an existing policy that limits the time city staffers

can spend on projects not endorsed by the City Council.

Despite the criticism he received for bringing this item forward

regarding previous actions of the Planning Commission, Monahan said

he felt it was important to clarify the rules for all council

appointed commissions and committees.

He is recommending that all committees and commissions be included

the ordinance -- which currently is specific to only the council --

stating that staff may not spend more than four hours on an item

that has not been approved by the council.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

The council is expected to approve the changes.

EASTSIDE STUDY

Traffic officials will present a report to the council tonight

detailing the results of an Eastside traffic monitoring program

designed to track the increase or decrease in traffic on seven

roadway segments.

The Eastside of Costa Mesa is generally described as the area of

the city east of Newport Boulevard made up mostly of homes, with the

exception of 17th Street -- a major thoroughfare that is home to a

number of businesses. Because of their simple grid structure, the

smaller streets in the Eastside, like Orange and Santa Ana avenues,

have become popular with drivers looking to avoid Newport Boulevard.

According to a staff report, the traffic volumes have not

increased dramatically in the area but volumes are higher than

expected on the seven street segments.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

The council is expected to receive and file this report and direct

traffic officials to perform a more detailed study.

-- Compiled by Lolita Harper