Report of the Committee on Roads and Bridges

 

October 1, 2007

(Recessed and Reconvened on October 10, 2007)

 

The Honorable,

The Board of Commissioners of Cook County

 

ATTENDANCE

 

Present:

Chairman Moreno, Vice Chairman Gorman, Commissioners Beavers, Butler, Claypool, Daley, Goslin, Maldonado, Murphy, Peraica, Quigley, Schneider, Silvestri, Sims and Suffredin (15)

 

Absent:

Commissioners Collins and Steele (2)

 

Also Present:

 

Sara Hynes – State’s Attorney’s Office.

 

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

Your Committee on Roads and Bridges, having had under consideration the matters hereinafter mentioned, respectfully reports and recommends as follows:

 

289087

COOK COUNTY AUTOMATED RED LIGHT TRAFFIC SAFETY SYSTEM (PROPOSED ORDINANCE).  Submitting a Proposed Ordinance sponsored by Todd H. Stroger, President and Joseph Mario Moreno, County Commissioner; Co-Sponsored by John P. Daley, Forrest Claypool, Peter N. Silvestri, Gregg Goslin, Elizabeth “Liz” Gorman, County Commissioners.

 

The following is a synopsis of the Proposed Ordinance:

 

PROPOSED ORDINANCE

COOK COUNTY AUTOMATED RED LIGHT TRAFFIC SAFETY SYSTEM

 

WHEREAS, Cook County government is mandated by the Illinois Constitution to provide for the protection of persons and property; and

 

WHEREAS, certain intersections can be dangerous due to various reasons including, but not limited to, motorists not respecting traffic lights; and

 

WHEREAS, many cities, including Chicago, have successfully installed and used video cameras to assist law enforcement agencies in enforcing traffic laws; and

 

WHEREAS, the system would also serve as a passive deterrent, helping ensure the public safety by reducing the number of accidents and resulting injuries or deaths.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED, by the Cook County Board of Commissioners, that Chapter 82 Traffic and Vehicles, Article IV, Sections 82-101 through 82-104 of the Cook County Code is hereby enacted as follows:

ARTICLE IV.  Automated Red Light Traffic Safety System

 

Sec. 82-101.  Purpose--Establishment of automated red light traffic safety system.

 

Sec. 82-102.  Automated red light violation.

 

Sec. 82-103.  Citation notice.

 

Sec. 82-104.  Supplementary enforcement.

 

Effective Date:  This Ordinance shall take effect upon adoption.

 

*Referred to the Committee on Roads & Bridges Committee on 9/6/07.

**Deferred at the Roads & Bridges Committee of 9/18/07.

 

Chairman Moreno asked the Secretary to the Board to call upon the registered public speakers in accordance with Cook County Code, Sec. 2-108(dd):

 

1.         John Dahlberg, Chief of Police, Village of Mt. Prospect

2.         Mark Etzbach, Sales Director, Redflex

3.         George Blakemore, Concerned Citizen

4.         Greg Zito, Redspeed Illinois

 

Commissioner Silvestri stated that he received a correspondence from the Police Chief of the Village of Glenview, which he distributed a copy to all of the committee members.  Because of this correspondence, he will be introducing an amendment to the proposed ordinance, which allows the County to enter into Intergovernmental Agreements with local municipalities on County jurisdiction roads in villages.  Further, Commissioner Silvestri stated that as a general concept when the highway or sheriff departments are doing anything in any incorporated area they should be consulting with the local jurisdiction.

 

Commissioner Daley inquired as to whom instructed Redflex to conduct a feasibility study.

 

Chairman Moreno stated that it was through President Stroger’s office to check the feasibility.

 

Vice Chairman Gorman inquired as to how the cameras will be funded.

 

Chairman Moreno stated that based upon the studies that have been conducted by the two companies, Redflex and Redspeed Illinois, in connection with President Stroger’s office the estimated revenues that could possibly be generated would be more than enough to cover the cost of the cameras.

 

Chairman Moreno further stated that there has been actual data collected by the City of Chicago and other Municipalities that it has been estimated that in just twenty-five intersections the County would be able to generate approximately $1.7 million per year per intersection and the cost of the installation and maintenance of the cameras is well below the revenues that could be generated.

 

Vice Chairman Gorman inquired as to the cost of installing the cameras and what the practice is of the municipalities or the local governments on the payments of the hard costs.

 

Mark Etzbach, with Redflex responded that there would not be any cost to the County.  The vendor installs the cameras at their own capital expense.

 

Commissioner Silvestri, seconded by Commissioner Murphy, moved to approve the Ordinance (Communication No. 289087).

 

Commissioner Silvestri, seconded by Commissioner Murphy, moved to accept Amendment No. 1, to remove the reference of the Highway Department in Section 82-103 and add the following language “a copy of the recorded images; a warning that failure to pay the penalty or to contest liability in a timely manner is an admission of liability and may result in a suspension of the driving privileges of the registered owner;  The motion carried.  (See Attachment #1)

 

Commissioner Silvestri, seconded by Commissioner Daley, moved to accept Amendment No. 2, to add the following language to Section 82-101 (c):  Upon application by a local municipality, the County may permit through intergovernmental agreement, the local municipality to install and maintain such a system and issue citations, with all costs paid by and all fines paid to the local municipality, at intersections which are under the maintenance and operation jurisdiction of the County, but within the police jurisdiction of such municipality.”  The motion carried.  (See Attachment #2).

 

On the main motion made by Commissioner Silvestri, seconded by Commissioner Murphy, to approve and adopt the Ordinance (Communication Number 289087), as amended. Commissioner Peraica called for a Roll Call, the vote of yeas and nays being as follows:

 

ROLL CALL ON MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE

(COMMUNICATION NUMBER 289087), AS AMENDED

 

Yeas:

Chairman Moreno, Vice Chairman Gorman, Commissioners Beavers, Claypool, Daley, Goslin, Murphy, Schneider and Silvestri (9)

 

Nays:

Commissioner Peraica (1)

 

Absent:

Commissioners Butler, Collins, Maldonado, Quigley, Sims, Steele and Suffredin (7)

 

The motion to approve the Ordinance as amended CARRIED.

 

Commissioners Daley and Gorman asked to be added as co-sponsors to the Ordinance as amended (Communication No. 289087).


Commissioner Daley, seconded by Vice Chairman Gorman, moved to adjourn.  The motion carried and the meeting was adjourned.

 

 

YOUR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING ACTION

WITH REGARD TO THE MATTERS NAMED HEREIN:

 

Communication Number 289087                   Approval As Amended

 

 

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Committee on Roads and Bridges

 

 

 

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Joseph Mario Moreno, Chairman

 

Attest:

 

 

 

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Matthew B. DeLeon, Secretary

 

 

** The audio recording for this meeting is available from the Office of the Secretary to the Board, 118 North Clark Street, Room 567, Chicago, IL 60602.