City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 4, 2013
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: RASHAD M. YOUNG, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
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Introduction and First Reading. Consideration, Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to Amend Section 3-2-353 (Contested Parking Citations) of the Code of the City of Alexandria, Virginia.
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ISSUE: Consideration of an ordinance to:
ยท Amend and reordain City Code Section 3-2-353 to clarify the language regarding how a parking citation can be contested and extend the deadline for contesting a citation.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council pass the proposed ordinance (Attachment 1) on first reading and schedule it for public hearing, second reading and final passage on September 14, 2013. The proposed ordinance would modify the language of City Code Section 3-2-353.
DISCUSSION: Currently, City Code Section 3-2-353 includes language that registered owners may contest a parking citation by contacting the Parking Adjudication Office and provides a deadline for contesting within 10 calendar days of the issuance of the parking citation.
The City's FY 2014 adopted budget included elimination of the City's Parking Adjudication Office, which resulted in shifting the parking citation appeal process back to the Alexandria General District Court. The modifications being proposed to City Code Section 3-2-353 will codify this decision.
City Code Section 3-2-353 would clearly reflect language that only allows registered owners to appeal parking citations to the General District Court and to modify the deadline for contesting citations to 3 years of the issuance of the parking citation. In October 2011, this section of the City Code was amended to limit the time to contest a parking ticket at the adjudication office to 10 days, however the same limitation cannot apply to court cases. The 3 year appeal period coincides with the time permitted to appeal taxes.
These amendments will have no effect on City revenues but will modify the policy for contesting parking citations. It should be noted that prior to FY 1999, the City did not have a Parking Adjudication Office. The Office was established in February 1999, managed by the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. In FY 2010, the parking adjudication function was moved from the Commonwealth's Attorney's office to the Finance Department. Technological advances that exist today, most notably the ability to interact with the City online, address many of the difficulties that were resolved with the creation of the Parking Adjudication Office in 1999.
FISCAL IMPACT: The fiscal impact in FY 2014 has already been realized. The FY 2014 Approved Budget included savings of approximately $135,000, reflecting the elimination of the contract to provide Parking Adjudication services.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 - Proposed Ordinance Cover
Attachment 2 - Proposed Ordinance
STAFF:
Laura B. Triggs, Chief Financial Officer/Director
David Clark, Assistant Director of Finance, Treasury
Christina Zechman Brown, Assistant City Attorney
Kendel Taylor, Assistant Director, Finance Department