RESIDENTS TICKETED FOR PARKING WON’T HAVE TO PAY

JEREMY WALTNER  –  PUBLISHER

Freeman residents who were ticketed for violating the city’s parking ordinance from Sept. 8 to Sept. 16 will not have to pay those fines, according to Freeman Mayor Michael Walter, who estimates a couple of dozen residents were issued citations.

Those tickets have been rescinded after consultation between Walter and city attorney Mike Fink last week and early this week. Those who have paid will either have their check stopped or be issued refunds; letters are being sent to those impacted by what Walter says was improper administration by the Freeman Police Department in response to parking violations. Specifically, some residents were ticketed without receiving a warning.

“I have instructed officer (Jay) Slevin not to issue any more tickets without a warning first,” Walter told The Courier.

As for how and why the administrative process went wrong, Walter said he does not yet have an answer because Freeman Police Chief Kirk McCormick has been on vacation. McCormick was expected to return to work this week.

All of this comes on the heels of a crackdown on city ordinance violations from Walter, who in his first term as mayor is getting tough on nuisance properties, lawns and weeds, unregistered vehicles and parking violations. That includes ordinance 8.0224, which says a vehicle may not be parked on city property — which includes along the street in front of a home — for more than 72 consecutive hours. While enforcement of the ordinance came at the direction of the mayor, Walter says he was not happy with how the process played out.

Meeting in regular session Monday night, Sept. 14, Walter took responsibility for the improper and inconsistent administration of the citations after a handful of residents appeared before the council to contest the tickets. The council met in executive session that night under the provision of “personnel.” The mayor also vowed to stay in touch with those who were ticketed and gave out his cell number so he could be contacted.

“I’m trying to be as open and as honest and as fair as I can be with you,” Walter said at the meeting. “We need to be fair and it hasn’t been fair.”