By Terry Miller
Got unpaid parking tickets? In July, you may get the boot.
Parking in Pasadena may cost you a few more dollars soon. According to William Boyer, Public Information officer for city of Pasadena, annual revenue for parking tickets nets the crown city $5.8 Million in fines. However, approximately $1.1 Million is lost due to unpaid violations from parking in Pasadena and the city wants to get that money back, pronto.
The city has approximately 2500 vehicles in the database with outstanding parking fines, some of which are multiple offenders.
On April 18, the city issued a preliminary ordinance to work with a company that has developed the “Smart Boot” which will render those vehicles immobile. Violators with 5 or more unpaid tickets will be subject to getting the boot installed on their car.
After the usual municipal governmental processes of ordinance readings etc. and legal notice publication , the anticipated date for the program to begin is July 17.
It’s actually a unique no cost to the city agreement with the boot people, according to Boyer.
“The boot release fee will be $157.96 of which the city will receive only $52.96 and the “smart boot” company will receive the lion’s share at $105 per boot installed.”
Boyer told Pasadena Independent that once a violator ‘gets the boot’ once the fine is fully paid and boot release fee paid in full, then the registered owner of the vehicle will receive an electronic code they’ll punch into the keypad on the boot and then be able to drive the car.
Return of the boot will be the entire responsibility of the registered owner. Those details are still being worked out.
Annually, the city of Pasadena issues 165,000 parking citations.
