Sylvania Council approves fee and fine increase

4/18/2011

Parking fines, peddler’s licenses, and charges assessed to property owners with repeated false fire or security alarms are going up in Sylvania.

City council Monday night approved the increases after several council members specified that the hikes are needed to offset rising enforcement and operations costs.

“There is no extra money built in. This is just to cover our costs,” city council President Todd Milner said.

Effective immediately, the basic parking violation fine will rise from $15 to $20, while the fine for parking in a fire lane will increase from $50 to $55. The fine for illegal parking in a handicapped-only zone will remain $250.

Licenses for peddlers and solicitors will cost $25 instead of $15.

The city will continue to allow up to two false alarms annually with no assessment, but the charge for the third false alarm will increase from $25 to $30; additional false alarms are assessed $60, $90, and $120.

Officials said false alarms generally are not a problem in Sylvania. The fine and fee increases are the city’s first since 1996, Mr. Milner said.