Agenda 05/25/2010 Item # 6B
Agenda Item No. 68
May 25,2010
Page 1 of 7
Office of the County Manager
Leo E. Ochs, Jr.
3301 East Tamiami Trail' Naples Florida 34112 . (239) 252-8383 . FAX: (239) 252-4010
May 12, 2010
Ms. Lindsay Addison
5620 Dogwood Way
Naples FL 34116
Re: Public Petition Request regarding traffic fine
Dear Ms. Addison
Please be advised that you are scheduled to appear before the Collier County Board of
Commissioners at the meeting of May 25,2010, regarding the above referenced subject.
Your petition to the Board of County Commissioners will be limited to ten minutes.
Please be advised that the Board will take no action on your petition at this meeting.
However, your petition may be placed on a future agenda for consideration at the
Board's discretion. If the subject matter is currently under litigation or is an on-going
Code Enforcement case, the Board will hear the item but will not discuss the item after it
has been presented. Therefore, your petition to the Board should be to advise them of
your concern and the need for action by the Board at a future meeting.
The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. in the Board's Chambers on the Third Floor of the W.
Harmon Turner Building (Building "F") of the government complex. Please arrange to be
present at this meeting and to respond to inquiries by Board members.
If you require any further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact this
office.
~2~~-~
Mike Sheffield
Assistant to the County Manager
MJS:mjb
cc: Jeffrey Klatzkow, County Attorney
Norman Feder, Administrator, Transportation Services
Diane Flagg, Director, Code Enforcement
Gene Calvert, Project Manager, Transportation Engineering
65/11/2616 67:49 239417&315
FL DEP RBNERR
Agenda ~ Nd'lW7
May 25, 2010
Page 2 of 7
Reauest to SDBBk under Public PetltiOD
PletJse print
Name: U",,,h,,,'1' A.u;~"....
Address: ~).<> ho~...,.,.,J W"'y
/\/... ~s, t:L 3\1.\lJ.
.
Phone: ~l"'_1W'22S"\
D.ate of the B08'CI Meetlna YOU wish to soesk:.
Must clnlle yes or no:
18 this subjeCt rnaa.r under litigation at this time? V_I (jP
Is this subject mllbr an ongoing Code EtIfon;ement c..? Vesl ~
M,O"l 'LS
Note: If either .......... Is "yeS". the ao.d will hear the Item but will have no
dlscuuion regarding the Item after It 18 presented.
Please 8XD1aIn in detail \he re&llC!!:! YOU are reauestina to -'< lattach edditlonal
Dace if neoeesam
S<L ....-\\....,1...J. f"'~ ~.
Please elCDlain in detltilthe action YOU are ar;;kila the CommiSsiOn to take lattsch
additional Dace if nec:essarv):
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AgendaFi'OO!'i N~:t'!F
May 25.2010
Page 3 of 7
On February 22. 1Il11UU11d 5:00, I...... driving north on 951 at about 4S miles per bouT.
On the approIICb 10 the tndfIc light at the intenection with Golden Gate BouIeYI!'d. the
light turned yellow. I felt I would have to pallic stop, and I proceeded tbrousJrthe
intersection. It seemed hlte a short yc:llow light.
At 8I"OUlld the sune time, Mike Mogi!' s wife was ticketed fur a red-Iigbt ini'alltion at thIt
same interuction. Mr. Mogil timed the light's yellow cycle aDd fbund thIt it was,7
aecoods too Ibort fur the BpeCd limit (rt was 3,8 seconds long when it should have been
4.5 seconds). On AprilS Mr. Mogi! went befcm a traffic magistrate, the County admitted
that the light...... too short per!tll own guidelines, and the DIIIgistrIte threw out his wife's
ticket. AccordIng to NBC 2, it was clear that the light was timed erroneously and the
County fix.t the HJbt's yellow cycle. NBC a1110 reportB "officials" saying thIt "there DlBy
be other driver, who 'MIll wrongly ticketed as well." (See news article.)
The photo I was IeIIt in the mail with my c:iWion showed the hood of my car tIuah with
or partially obscuring the white line at the inteJBeCtion. I ...... annoyed at how close the
call was, but I did not WInI: 10 gIIDIbte an additional SSO on a traftic m.ptrllle. HoweYa-,
when I found out the light was aClually not correctly timed, I knew it was unfair thIt the
magistrBk:'s decision in the c:ue of the Mogils' ticket wasn't applied ccpWIy to all people
who received a fine under identical cit'CUlIlstances.
I originally CODtacted the County's tl'8IISpOI'tIII office to request a Rl6md. thinking ti1at
I would just have to identify myself as having received a ticket In the llXIICt same
circumstances, but I was told that it was II(lt County policy to correct emn in traftic
tickets because I had hJd the oppoftunity to go before a traffIC magistrate. However, the
tickets do not come with any infonnation about checking the length of yellow lights.
I attempted to cont8ct Gene Calvert on tine occasions (two e-mails and one voic;email)
in order to find out how to look up my citation number, but my messages were not
returned. 'Therefore, I c:annot refer to my original paperwmX. since I paid the ticket and
discarded the documents (see attached canceled check).
I would like to ll'.Iq)lain my situation to the Board of County Conuniasioneo ill order tIO
address the fact thIt ttaffic laws were not applied equally to all motorists and receive a
refund,
~~
05/11/2010 07:49 2394176315
SunNet -l;heck Imago
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Agenda~OOli\ N&46!F
. ~ay 2"5, 2010
Page 4 of 7
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Page 5 of 7
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Collier...UW~ citation dismissed because
yelkM IigIIt timing was too short
By RYAN IIILL8
j;.,
~,......10. 21110
NAPLES - MIk* MoglI wu IlI08tIy ambMllent about CoI.... County's red-lghl:
Cllmeras -1tI. la, until hla wire received a cbtIon from one.
Now. lifter ~ the Is.- and helping Ills wife, Bal'lHII8, II-' out of her licht, the
64-year-old rneleoIologlsland maIt1 tutor Is hoping his work win hfJip bl1ng the Cllmeras
down for gOOd.
01 am WI)' concemecl tMt we are on a V81Y, very slippery Illope,o MegA Hid. '1 11m
definitely pan of the red-/lght Cllmenl btigade."
1\ an 8ta1lId In lIIid-J8nuary when MogII'$ wife ClIme home, bellwlng sIIe'd JU8t
receJl/8d allcQt for running. rwd light while driving norttl on Coller Boulevllrd at the
intersedlon wlIII Golden Gate PIIrkw~.
"t ImlMdlllely WMIt Into quationing mode, beClIu8e .. a 1ICler&t, 1tIat'. wtlId I do:
Magll laid.
Mog' said his wIfIt told him tIIllt She was driving aboul4S rnph -the llpHd limit on
Ih. lIeCtion of COI.... Boulevard - when the light turned yellow. Believing that she
couldn't stop In 1lme, MogIl's wife sped up.
'She said 'Well, \tie yellow wu awfully quick, ~ MogB said. "That was the tngger. I said
'Wen, maybe it was awf\llly quick. ~
MoglI went out to the IntersecliOn with a stop watch and a video camera, and
mealR./red 10 cycles, he .aid.
Acoording to county guidelines, yellow Iight$ should be on one second fOr awry 10
miles per hour Oftha speed linll. With a 45-mph limit on Collier Boulevard, tile yellow
light should IlllIIe been on for 4.5 !I8COnds.
Insle8d, It wa. only .tlout 3.8 seconds, Mugil said.
OMy wife's Ight, ilia! one WllS YIIflY oIl', - he S81d.
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May 25, 2010
Page 6 of 7
MOll. timed the ~ IghtS 81 four oltler Intersecotlon. wllh rl!ICI-lIght..".... .nd
round them to be-lImeCIllIlP'OpIWbIly. But he HId he dRlW .round town lIlld round
_1111 011.. ~ IhlIt weren't ttlMCl property.
A apealIII....... dropped B8rberII Mogr. ticket I9C8IIIIY Ift8r the county conCllCllld
thlllthe nllht ....II"PfopMly tlmed. OftlCillll are now in the proce- of cheCldng the
yeilOW.lIgIlllln*llllrllUltCllhe county, COliii' COUoly transportallOR spoke_oman
Connie DeMe. MIll
, .;.'
"'TMy _. ;--- ..one thM....1n quauon, ..here Mr. MogIl'nrlfe got a tICket."
Deane...... .,..... 11M been ldJullted.'
"':~mlW.: :..,..,. to III a goods.nartlln. but If ilia work.,...lld the
COla ." ,I.' . it. .. he WOUld IlII finI wllh \h8I:. MlltIln'\pOIt.WllIY. he's got a
good story fOr hii'l'IlIlIl IludentS.
"I've got Idd. who .., When am I _ going to UM this meth ag81n7- MOlIn llIIIld.
'Here w.. . perfeClt UlIImpl...
_ Conner;( willi Rym MIlls tit www,~~.miJsI
.
o 2CnO ScdIiPI............. Group - Onl"
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.. IVlay 25, 2010
Page 7 of 7
ti newsfONLlMiii
.....bdIlll.~.;'..... I, tD'......IIPt........tIcMt
~:Aproe._~..
Ut*/fId: Apr Ill!, >>rofi1llWtiEDr
COLIJER COUNU';.~ _ OIIug1lt 011 0ImW8 running a red In Coller County. But..... her
......... "tllilQ.]J'IImlllJ'lIa.J II out...... ~..,yn..1IlIIY be otIMIf~who_WIO_
.......WlIIIt. '\i:lo'~l~F"
NIallt2lt.OOO". ...:......... OIIll81ll81l1lU1'l111ng e red Ilght In.... tMIIe~. The__
range fiVIIll8l'-'_. __ to be .--ended.
But ColI<< drMr'_"""_ the yIIIIow Ights _1lI~ too sholt And . k IUII1I out. he.. ..
~ wllh e ...~t~(1t ..., be ~ . lIole In the crdllIly of eoa.r CouIIly'a red IIght_
~
'f the county, they _ not goIno to follow their own ruI-. then Why .tK>uId _ be requlrlld to follow the
. rules?" he lISad.
N1en his wifo recIMode.lIc:k8t In ItI8 meil r9C8IIlIy. the tInJt thing sne a'*l Was the yellow light _ too
shoIt.
So MiIce. who __ WIll""'" BIllie Ii_.. elll8lh 1IItDr. pulltto 11M W8t.
, lI8id, 'If lfw _Iy shoIt, u.. you got llhort..changed and you got e Ilcket 1w.g.IIy, -lI8id MDgII.
The speed limit on Collier EIcluIlMIrd. where 9he _ cII8d. is 45 mph. Acalrdng to gounty guillel.-. the
yeIow lIght8hllllld-be~
Mag" 8llid he l8BlIIclit'tS~ willi.. -.ge of only 3.8~.
.And ISIld, 'W8wgot a pnJbIam,- M.lIIId.
He challenged thelctc.t Monday.nd . epecIal rnagIjtIW dmpped It whBn the oounly conceded the yellow
_n'long lII1ClIllIII.
, think It W8lllII1 -.Illlitl'nDle IIlan Mythlng; sald Gene Calvert of the Cooler County TIWnspolI8lIon
0apeI1ment.
The oounty '- .... t.llhe CoIl..- Bou/ev1lId light, end .-ys it wlll check 200 other Inte!liecllone to
meke sure _ meet"UlllldIW.
NBC2: Do you think u... _ other lightIB thllt may not be timed correatly?
CUIert: I doubt. V81Y~. but I" be IooIcinllImo It.
But MogI1 eaya he.. etready checked 85 inl8lll8cliont end found lh8t only _ ,.Iow IgID elV long
8IlClUgh.
'"There's a muc:II. much bigger issue h... and II has to be addressed,. a lIlIid.
The county ..,.ltwll be checldng the Inbnecli_ wlIh red light canwraslln;l
TheV encourage Bnyone lNIlo thlnlcll \hey IT1IIY hlIvt lIOb" B ticket Incorredly to dIlIIIanga It, JUSl as Magn
cIcI.
By &tIat.E,",,1I!I
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