Taking on the Government Redmond man leads effort to ban traffic enforcement cameras
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/red/news/118672029.html#
Redmond man leads effort to ban traffic enforcement cameras: Harlan teams up with Tim Eyman to gather signatures for initiative
By BILL CHRISTIANSON
Redmond Reporter Editor
Today, 2:34 PM · UPDATED
Redmond resident Scott Harlan, with the help of initiative guru Tim Eyman, is leading a charge to put the traffic enforcement camera debate on the November ballot — and let the people decide.
Harlan, along with Nick Sherwood, Alex Rion and Eyman are the co-sponsors of Redmond Initiative No. 1 — "Let The People Decide on Red Light Cameras in Redmond." If the initiative is put on the ballot and passed, it would ban the use of cameras to catch traffic violators and fine them unless approved by the City Council and voters.
Harlan and his co-sponsors will be at the Safeway at Bear Creek Village, 17426 Redmond Way, tomorrow (March 26) from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., to begin collecting the 3,845 valid signatures needed to get a city initiative on the ballot.
The City Council approved the use of a 10-month traffic enforcement camera pilot program last September. The program, which features red-light cameras at three busy intersections and a speed camera in a school zone, began March 3 and has already generated more than 1,500 citations in the first two weeks, along with a heated debate among residents and city officials.
Eyman is the notorious political activist who has sponsored or worked on several initiatives at the state level. He has also gotten involved with initiatives at the local level. Most recently, he helped with an initiative in Mulkilteo that required a public vote before any traffic enforcement cameras are installed in that city and lowered the $124 fine to $20. The initiative passed 71 percent to 29 percent.
Eyman and company are hoping to pass the same initiative in Redmond.
The initiative states, "this measure would prohibit Redmond from using camera surveillance to impose fines unless a majority of the Council and voters approve, limit fines, repeal ordinances allowing the cameras, and require the removal of automatic ticketing cameras not approved by voters at an election."
Harlan is a Redmond businessman with connections to several community groups. He was the past president of the Lake Washington Schools Foundation and currently sits on the board of the Together Center, a Redmond-based human services group. Harlan created a Facebook page, "Abolish Red Light Cameras in Redmond," and has attracted 656 friends as of Friday afternoon.
Now with the help of some state political activists, Harlan wants to go beyond Facebook and take this issue to the upcoming ballot.
Sherwood is an activist for bancams.com, a group dedicated to outlawing traffic cameras across the state. The website does not provide any biographical information about Sherwood.
Rion is the interim state coordinator for Washington's Campaign for Liberty, a grass-roots political activism group.
The co-sponsors sent the initiative, along with a letter to Mayor John Marchione and all seven City Council members — Richard Cole, Pat Vache, Kimberley Allen, David Carson, Hank Margeson, Hank Myers and John Stilin — today, announcing their intentions to put this issue on the ballot.
"We intend to have a civil debate on the merits of this program and putting the issue before the voters will determine whether Redmond citizens accept or reject the automatic ticketing cameras advocated by the city," the letter said.
At 1 p.m. tomorrow (March 26), the co-sponsors will hold a rally in support of their efforts.
"We are going to work really hard over the coming weeks and months to collect enough voter signatures to let the people of Redmond decide whether or not they want these obnoxious ticketing cameras in their communities," Eyman wrote in an e-mail.
Marchione issued a statement Friday afternoon after learning of the group's efforts.
“This initiative is the wrong process at the wrong time," he stated. "We carefully and thoughtfully implemented a one-year pilot program to create and evaluate traffic safety cameras,” stated Marchione. “We have a process already established where we will evaluate the data and determine at the end of the year whether or not to continue the program."
Marchione continued, “Our program is unique in that any revenue generated over the cost of the program can only be spent on traffic and pedestrian safety programs and capital improvements not already budgeted for in our current 2011-2012 budget.”
Traffic safety programs that could be implemented with additional revenue include implementing crosswalks where none exist, painting crosswalks or lines at intersections to be more visible, installing flashing yellow beacons at school zones that indicate a school speed zone limit is in effect and installing additional street lighting, according to the press release.
“The Council and I are certainly aware of the public’s interest in traffic safety cameras and therefore we undertook a prolonged and intensive public awareness campaign that began four months before the cameras were installed,” stated Mayor Marchione. “It is interesting to note that we received very little negative feedback from residents during these outreach efforts.”
The public outreach program began in September 2010 and included a utility bill stuffer sent to all water users (including non-residents on Redmond Ridge), a brochure sent to employees of large employers and distributed through all public buildings, articles in the Redmond Reporter and the city’s online newsletter, posters and information on the city’s website at www.redmond.gov/safetycameras.
Marchione called the Redmond Reporter Friday morning and said the initiative effort is a "temper tantrum in the middle of the government process."
(Ban the Cams note: like another city official in Mulkilteo, Tinsley said “I don’t care if 70 percent said they don’t want these cameras,” he said. “I think they will be providing a service they need.” So speak Dictator Tinsley!
The initiative will not cost the city any extra money — except for possibly some extra printing costs for the ballot and voters' pamphlet — because there are already Redmond races on the November ballot, according to Michelle McGehee, Redmond city clerk.
If there were no city races on the ballot and the initiative called for a special election, then the city would have to pay for that expense, McGehee explained.
During the one-month warning period in February, the Redmond Police Department (RPD) issued 2,562 warnings at the three intersections and one school zone, Police Chief Ron Gibson told the City Council's public safety committee at a meeting Tuesday evening at City Hall council chambers.
The number of camera-enforced citations is on pace to exceed that amount this month as RPD issued a combined 1,586 citations between March 3 and 16 — an average of about 113 violations per day.
The cameras are located eastbound on Redmond Way at 148th Avenue Northeast, eastbound and westbound on Northeast 40th Street at 156th Avenue Northeast, and westbound on Union Hill Road and northbound on Avondale Road where those two roads intersect. A speed zone camera is also located at Einstein Elementary, 18025 N.E. 116th St. If caught on camera, violators will receive a $124 fine, the same amount if an a patrol officer caught someone running a red light or speeding in a school zone.
For more information about Redmond Initiative No. 1, visit www.BanCams.com/Redmond
Redmond Reporter Editor Bill Christianson can be reached at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or (425) 867-0353, ext. 5050.
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