Official reports just received show that in February, Culver City’s red light camera ticketing was high.
The report for March, although incomplete, indicates that ticketing could go even higher.
Even though it’s a little too early to tell how high it will go, now is the time to warn local motorists.
(The official ticket reports are posted at a link on this page — see footnote 26 there: http://highwayrobbery.net/redlightcamsdocsculv13TicketCounts.html )
In October, I sent a copy of an email I sent to the City Council of Culver City) (attached below), in which I (1) pointed out to them that the camera rent they had negotiated in their new contract, even though a decrease from the old price, was still too much, and (2) I told them how they could get a better price.
Needless to say, they did not re-open negotiations. They did not get a better price.
Their lack of concern may have been because they knew that the new contract (copy attached, see Exhibit A) would add new right, left and through enforcement to many of the existing cameras.
My memo to the City Council:
10-28-14
Re: Paying too much for red light cameras – a million here, a million there…
Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers:
Last week I finally received a copy of your new contract with Redflex. It was signed on Aug. 29, more than three months after the May 12 council meeting where you approved the continuation of the program. The signed contract shows that you didn’t get the price down, even though the long delay suggests that there might have been some kind of a negotiation going on.
I am writing today to point out that it’s not too late to get a better price and save nearly a million Dollars. Section 6.2 of the contract allows the City to cancel on 30 days notice. May I suggest that you cancel, and see if Redflex offers you a lower rent – as has happened in other cities? As I pointed out in my Sept. 7 letter (copy below), getting a better price means you could save having to issue 9288 extra tickets to cover the extra rent.
After I sent you the Sept. 7 letter, a councilmember replied, “I love our red light camera program,” and I replied to him, “I’m sure you love your car, too, but didn’t pay nearly twice the normal price for it.” Some people fall in love with a car they see in a showroom, and blindly end up paying way more than other buyers do. But the Council is directing a municipal corporation, and red light cameras need to be treated like a business deal, nothing more.
Mr. Lissner may be contacted at jim@vivahermosa.com
Culver City Red Light Camera – Memo
Culver City Red Light Camera – Agenda Item Report
