Taking on the Government Anti-Camera Activists Turn In Signatures to City Hall
(Thanks to www.stpetecameras.org for the link!)
http://redmond.patch.com/articles/anti-camera-activists-turn-in-signatures-to-city-hall
Anti-Camera Activists Turn In Signatures to City Hall
The petition to put Redmond's camera enforcement program on a ballot will next head to King County for verification.
By Caitlin Moran 4:45pm
Redmond activist Scott Harlan (left) and Tim Eyman address members of the media outside city hall on Wednesday afternoon.Credit Caitlin Moran
Tim Eyman (middle) and Scott Harlan (right) lead their supporters into city hall to hand in the signatures.
Scott Harlan (left) and Tim Eyman (middle) present the signatures to city clerk Michelle McGehee (right).Credit Caitlin Moran
Redmond activist Scott Harlan joined Washington state initiative guru Tim Eyman in making local history Tuesday afternoon as the two men and a small group of supporters handed in a petition calling for the city's first-ever voter initiative.
The moment capped several months of signature gathering on the part of Harlan, a resident of unincorporated Redmond, and his supporters. Harlan and Eyman said they were turning in 6,050 signatures, an amount well ahead of the 3,845 that they were required to collect to put the initiative on the ballot.
Harlan said he hopes his efforts send a message to city leaders that Redmond residents are opposed to the city's red-light and speed camera pilot program, which went into effect in February and has generated more than a half-million dollars in fines.
"I think there is a symbolic point to be made, and we've made it," Harlan said while addressing members of the media at Redmond City Hall. "There is no way to ingore the fact that six thousand signatures have been put in front of you."
City clerk Michelle McGehee verified the amount of signatures handed in totaled 1,883 pages but King County will need to verify the number of valid signatures. Harlan said it's possible some of the signatures came from people who do not live in Redmond city limits and are therefore invalid, but he's confident the total number of valid signatures still exceeds the 3,845 required to put the matter on the ballot.
Once the signatures are verified by the county, City Council members would need to pass a resolution calling for the initiative to appear on a ballot during a special election on Feb. 14, 2012. McGehee said the city's deadline to send this resolution to the county is Dec. 30.
Before then, however, the City Council must decide whether to renew its contract with its camera vendor, American Traffic Solutions. Council member Hank Myers, who is also chair of the council's public safety committee, said ATS must be notified of a decision by Dec. 1.
Myers said council members are examining a variety of data, including violation and collision numbers, as well as input they've received from the public on the camera program. But he said it's difficult to look at the amount of signatures turned in today as a complete resident consensus against the cameras because he believes at least some signatures probably came from people who like the program but would still like there to be a vote on the matter.
“They’re doing their thing; we have to do our thing,” Myers said regarding the council's review of the pilot program. "We really have to do our own work first."
Redmond Mayor John Marchione offered a statement Wednesday that suggested the signatures would be a factor in the council's decision.
“As I indicated on this issue last month, the Traffic Safety Program has always been a one-year pilot program and the City continues to gather data and community input to make the best decision by Dec. 1 of this year,” Marchione stated. “As part of our open, transparent pilot evaluation process, we welcome residents' opinions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . This fall we will review our residents’ feedback, along with Mr. Harlan’s efforts, in the context of recent court rulings in this area as we consider next steps for Redmond.”
The special election is expected to cost the city between $70,000 and $80,000.
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