Nuisance fines debated in council

DOWNTOWN TOLEDO - Toledo's City Council heard hours of testimony Monday from residents questioning why they received nuisance parking fines from the city's Department of Neighborhoods over the past week.

In the wake of the city fining residents in June for parking on unpaved home driveways, which ended up creating a national and international frenzy, citizens were fined for property nuisances.

The Department of Neighborhoods handed out at least 50 citations to Toledoans in recent weeks, who were parked on their grass or gravel driveways.

Members of the Finkbeiner administration and council heard testimony from those who were ticketed.

"Toledo's desperate right now," said a disgruntled Toledoan. "The big points they are missing, and the little things is what they are going after."

Some council members, like D. Michael Collins, have said these fines have been an embarrassment to the Glass City.

"Give them 72 hours to clean them up and come back, and if they haven't, then execute your citation," said Councilman Collins said. "I hope that the administration realizes that we should not be going out and just slamming people with $75 fines for these vehicles that are parked on the grass a little bit."

Many residents believe they should, at least, be warned by the city before a fine is given out.

Councilman Collins wrote an e-mail to Bob Reinbolt, the mayor's chief of staff, over the weekend. He responded by saying that residents are parking in their front yards and it is "becoming a problem."

Council is expected to vote on a measure that proposes to amend the city's municipal code, which will allow parking on gravel driveways.