Parking Fines Are Going Up in Lemon Grove

If you violate parking laws in Lemon Grove, expect to pay the price. A high one.

The Lemon Grove City Council unanimously approved a new fee schedule for parking violations at the council meeting Tuesday night, Jan. 18. The fee hikes were necessitated by a new state law which will take an additional $3 out of any city's parking citation fees to pay for new courthouse and jail construction.

At Tuesday night's meeting, several council members and staffers seemed annoyed at the state of California's action, which takes more money from city coffers at a time when finances are tight.

"I would like to emphasize that whether or not we raise the parking fees, the state will still take its cut," said Cathleen Till, the city's finance director. "I would hate to see the state of California get any more of our money than is necessary."

The city attorney, James Lough, added that the state legislature's decision to raise the fees took everyone by surprise, and that all the local cities were re-evaluating their parking fines.

Lough said that Lemon Grove's fines were within the "middle to upper end" compared to other cities in San Diego County, but he said that would certainly change as all the municipalities grappled with the same change in state fees.

Councilman George Gastil was the only one to question the fee increases, asking if it was really necessary to charge $403 for parking in a handicapped space without proper credentials. "I want to slap people if they park in the disabled parking, but ... I'm afraid if we go too high, we'd have trouble collecting it," Gastil said.

The city attorney and Lemon Grove Sheriff's Captain Gigi McCalla noted that the minimum level of some fines are mandated by state law, which is why the fine for wrongfully parking in a space reserved for handicapped drivers is so high.

Mayor Mary Sessom said, "I don't have a problem with it. I would be happy to send a message that we have parking in Lemon Grove, we have laws in Lemon Grove, and if you break them, you're going to pay."

The new fees take effect immediately, according to the city attorney.

The old fees, compared to the new, are:

- Violation of curb markings: old fee—$35; new fee—$53

- Violation of parking signs: old fee—$35; new fee—$53

- Parking within 10 feet of a fire hydrant: old fee—$25; new fee—$53

- Missing license plate: old fee—$30; new fee—$35

- Parking in a marked bike lane: old fee—$$35; new fee—$38

- Parking in a handicapped place without credentials: old fee—$330; new fee—$403

To see more, go to the Lemon Grove city website, then to the agendas, and click on the agenda for Jan. 18.