Sun staff
Members of the village of Bethel Council called for safe driving in school zones when they approved increases in the citation fees schedule during their meeting on April 14.
Drivers who are caught speeding in a school zone will now pay double the amount in fines over a non-school zone. Previously, fees were the same in a school zone as fees not in a school zone.
The adjustments, which were discussed during the Safety Committee’s meeting on Feb. 18, were recommended to the council by the Finance Committee and Mayor Alan Ausman.
“We were most concerned about our school zone fines,” Ausman said. “[The adjusted schedule] puts different steps in there for that.”
The citation fees schedule hasn’t been updated in some time, he added.
“I believe the Finance Committee’s recommendation was that it was time to update these,” James Rees, councilman and Finance Committee chairman said. “There’s nothing outlandish; it’s a mere update to bring them up to 2016 levels.”
Ausman added that it was within his purview to approve the increases, but he wanted to bring the issue before the council.
“I wanted council’s eyes on it, and I wanted council’s approval,” he added.
School zone citation fines are now $30 for drivers traveling between 1 to 5 mph over the speed limit, $60 for drivers traveling between 6 to 10 mph over the speed limit and $90 for drivers traveling between 11 to 15 mph over the speed limit.
Drivers going faster than 16 mph over the speed limit will be required to make a mandatory court appearance.
In keeping with the theme of safe driving in school zones, councilwomen Priscilla Johnson and Lucy Shepherd implored drivers to look out for children and pedestrians.
“Slow down around the school and ball field; there’s a lot of little ones out,” Johnson said.
Shepherd stated, “The weather’s getting warmer, and the kids and the bicycles are out, so let’s pay attention to our children because we know that even though you tell them not to ride in the road, that’s where they’re going to be riding,” she said. “Just watch out for our little bicyclers and our baseball players running after balls in the road.”
She added, “And, watch those cross walks.”