RIPON COLLEGE - Repeat offenders will have tires locked if they neglect to pay their parking tickets

SOURCE: RIPON COLLEGE DAYS
Students may no longer have to invent parking spots in the Kemper lot, trudge through the snow up the hill from Storzer, or complain to their RA that there are no spots in the lot which they have rightfully paid for.

This year, physical plant created new ways to enforce policies concerning parking in different areas on campus for people who do not own the proper parking permit.

"I found that the same vehicles, with no registration or expired registration, were causing the issues day after day. These chronic offenders caused students with legally registered vehicles to hunt for an open spot," says Brian Skamra, director of physical plant.

Although the procedure states to park in the overflow lot by Storzer, it inconveniences students who have paid for a parking spot in their designated area.

However, students don't realize they are adding to the problem by putting someone else with a spot out of their lot.

Parents, students, and college staff have asked the physical plant about towing and impounding the non-registered or illegally parked vehicles.

"Instead of immediately towing the chronic offenders I presented the option of the tire boot as the first step to restrict illegal vehicle parking and insure registration compliance," says Skamra. "This is the same device used nationwide by police departments to enforce parking regulations."

To stop a student or guest from receiving a boot on their car, they must pay the total balance of their parking tickets to the physical plant when they are open.

To prevent the then booted car from being towed, the car owner must pay in a reasonable time frame.

In the instance that a student would get their car towed, Skamra explains the procedures necessary to retrieve the vehicle.

"The owners of these vehicles will need to pay the fine and towing cost, if any, in order to have the vehicle released," says Skamra. "If they are in violation a second time they will have to pay the registration fee, the fine, and the towing cost, if any, prior to their vehicle being released."

Although there may be multiple monetary punishments, the goal for the new policies is not to make money but to ensure that students who have paid for a parking spot receive what they bought.

"The goal [of the new enforcement policies] is to protect the rights of the students who have paid for designated parking on campus, by enforcing the parking policies. It is not intended to penalize students or earn money for the college," says Skamra.

The decision to create a new enforcement policy was created within the last year with the ideas of students, parents and college leaders to help create a solution to the problem students have been having trying to find parking.

Although it will be assisting students, the plant department needed to provide the locks and tags at a cost of about $800.

Reasons why tires will be locked
1. Unregistered vehicles parked in parking lots, after three violations.
2. Unregistered vehicles in faculty parking lots, after three violations.
3. Illegally parked vehicles in handicap spaces, after two violations.
4. Vehicles parked in fire lanes or undesignated parking areas, after three violations.