Speed issue tops agenda (07/29/2008)

DUNKIRK - Urging the use of "more common sense" as well as discretion in handing out speeding tickets, city resident and businessman Bill Blankenbaker presented his case to council members and the police chief Monday night.

"I think it's time to address these $400 tickets," Blankenbaker said, referring to speeding tickets police have been handing out in the construction zone along Ind. 167 (Main Street) over the past few weeks.

"We have business people here, trying to make a living," said Blankenbaker, owner of W. E. Gaunt Jewelry Store in downtown Dunkirk, arguing out that these hefty speeding fines were going to potential customers and adversely affecting Dunkirk businesses.

"Did you consider what would be the ramifications" of this ticketing operation when you started it? Blankenbaker asked Dunkirk Mayor Ron Hunt and Police Chief Dane Mumbower.

"We went by the law," Hunt replied.

"Don't your patrolmen have any common sense at all? It looks like they've got a contest going on," Blankenbaker, a Democrat and former city council member said, adding: "Your police department and you (Mayor Hunt, also a Democrat) are now getting performance ratings lower than the Bush administration."

"Do you want people to drive through town at 45 miles per hour?" audience member Pam Bunch interjected.

Blankenbaker said he could see the need for such tickets when the construction work was in progress, but not at 3 a.m. or on holidays when there were no workers present. Blankenbaker said he knew of a man who recently got a speeding ticket late at night when he was on his way to work.

Police Chief Mumbower said he could put together facts and figures on this topic, if the council was interested in seeing them. "I have personally looked at all the tickets. Most have been double the speed limit. Most would have been citations if the speed limit was still set at 30 mph," Mumbower said.

"The state mandates we enforce this. We don't set quotas for tickets," the chief said.

Also Mumbower and Hunt pointed out that the city does not receive the lion's share of revenue from these tickets. That goes to the state.

The construction zone speeding ticket for a first time offender is set to begin at $300, according to state law. Court costs are then set at $114.50, and a fine of $1 for every mile over the speed limit is added to that amount, according to Jacinda Jarvis of the Dunkirk city clerk-treasurer's office.

She added that the city receives $21.50 as a result of the more than $400 ticket. The county's share is $14, and the remainder goes to the state.

Continuing with the discussion at Monday night's city council meeting, Blankenbaker said, "I do know that people are very upset in this town."

Mumbower said tickets had been written for 40, 50, 58 mph in a 20 mph zone. "I don't see how anybody can justify that," the police chief said. "Going 40 mph from one end of town to the other - I don't understand how anyone could justify that," Mumbower said.

The police chief added that warning tickets were also being written and he had personally written several of them himself.

Also Mumbower said that if anyone had a problem regarding the conduct of one of his officers, they should make arrangements to see him. Mumbower said he wanted people to let him know about the conduct of his officers - good or bad.

Blankenbaker asked if Mumbower couldn't meet him for lunch someday at the Pizza King restaurant at the corner of Washington and Main Streets which has windows fronting the construction zone. Blankenbaker said he would like to point out and explain a few things to him. Hunt agreed with this request, and asked Mumbower to make arrangements to join Blankenbaker for lunch at the Pizza King.

The mayor said he thought Blankenbaker and Mumbower should get together to discuss the situation - to which Blankenbaker responded: "I think you should get together with Dane, too. The responsibility is on your shoulders."

In other business at Monday night's meeting, council members:

•Approved a motion to apply for an Indiana Department of Transportation enhancement grant to make improvements to the former Pennsylvania Railroad depot building in Dunkirk.

•Noted that preparations are under way to move the city clerk-treasurer's office from its temporary headquarters at 202 S. Main St., back to the city hall building at 113 S. Main St.

•Approved the purchase of a 1988 used vacuum leaf box trailer from the city of Hartford City for $2,500. This will be used by the street department for the collection of leaves in the fall, councilman Raymond Pettus said.

•Agreed to transfer $3,000 from the police training budget to the gasoline fund to meet current needs, as recommended by Mumbower.

•Authorized spending $22,370 for the installation of electrical control panel equipment at the wastewater treatment plant by Moss Electrical Systems of Muncie.

•Approved to purchase six tires for a wastewater plant dump truck from Green Forks Alignment and Service Inc., Muncie, for $869. These will be Firestone tires which council members said they preferred over a less expensive brand which was proposed by Miller's Dunkirk Marathon Pantry at a cost of $682.[[In-content Ad]]