Fillmore to raise fines for violations

Saturday, May 7, 2011

FILLMORE -- Motorists speeding in Fillmore should soon see increased fines.

The Fillmore Town Council voted 3-0 Tuesday night to raise the fine for speeding from $20 to $50. The change will take effect if the council approves the second reading at June's meeting.

When considering the issue, the council sought the input of Marshal Darrel Bunten, who was all for the measure.

"It's still cheaper than the state minimum of $126," Bunten said.

The council may also soon look to raise the fines on other violations, such as the nuisance ordinance. They plan to organize a special meeting with Bunten later in the month to discuss the issue in greater detail.

The issue of the nuisance ordinance continues to be a discussion item at council meetings, as the town looks to make its ordinance more specific. Councilor Alan Jones presented his fellow council members with some information he has found from the state and other communities regarding noise levels and the possibility of the town purchasing a decibel meter.

The town clean-up day has been set for Saturday, May 21 to coincide with the county Tox-Away Day. OmniSource will provide a dumpster for residents' use, with the town only having to pay for transportation of the dumpster.

Councilor Tami Parker presented a couple of funding opportunities the town is examining. The first is the state's Community Energy Plan program, which is designed to help small towns plan for energy efficiency. The first step would be to examine the energy efficiency of buildings and streetlights in the town.

"This is just a beginning," Parker said. "We can use this to start building toward receiving some grants."

The council approved moving forward with the program.

Parker is also looking at the possibility of using county CEDIT funds to repair Putnam Street.

The council is also continuing to look for ways to cut the 2011 budget.

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