WOONSOCKET – At a June 15 City Council meeting, exasperation in her voice, Councilor Kristina Fox declared how wrong colleagues were to suggest that there’s any leeway on an $85 fine for red light infractions.
That statement, which came with a joke from Fox that she needed God’s help to grant her patience, but proved to be inaccurate, led to Councilor Jim Cournoyer scheduling a special agenda item at the July 13 meeting.
Cournoyer said they had requested that the Law Department draft necessary ordinances as the city explores creation of a new red light ticketing program, even as Fox last month referenced general law in stating that the city has an obligation to charge $85 per ticket. He asked Solicitor Michael Lepizzera at the July 13 meeting if that’s the case that they’re locked into $85, and Lepizzera responded no.
After further inspection, state law does absolutely require $50 for speed zone ticketing, said Cournoyer, but is actually quiet about the $85 ticket for running a red light.
When these topics come up, he said on July 13, it’s important to stick to facts and “not make such broad statements stridently,” as Fox did. As the city continues to chart its course on implementing the camera system, he added, the discussion should not be based on emotion.
Fox then launched into a sarcasm-filled thank you to Cournoyer for taking the matter so seriously that he remembered her comments about the law and brought them up a month later. She said she doesn’t regret “waving the flag” on the idea that the state perhaps dictates what the city has to charge if it moves forward with its ticketing program. She said it’s good to see now that there is some leeway and more local control than expected.
Fox said she wanted to avoid lawsuits on this issue, and she’s happy to be wrong in her stance that the city can’t determine the fee on its own. She said she’d rather be wrong now than to not have said anything and, “whoops,” get sued.
Fox thanked Cournoyer for raising the issue again and moving this traffic safety measure along the path toward implementation.
Cournoyer said this isn’t about being right or wrong, but about making decisions based on facts. He noted Fox’s dismissive responses to his emails and comments at the earlier meeting. The Law Department, not the council, should have the ultimate say on compliance with state law as they move down the path toward implementing right light cameras, he said.
Elected leaders in Woonsocket have maintained a philosophical difference on speed cameras, but are generally now in agreement that they can get behind the idea of red light cameras.
