Posted on 09/28/2019 8:27:52 AM PDT by cutty
Wilmington, North Carolina renews deal with red light camera contractor that violated state engineering laws.
The Wilmington, North Carolina City Council last week signed a red light camera contract renewal despite protests that the state had found the for-profit camera contractor in direct violation of the law. American Traffic Solutions (ATS, now known as Verra Mobility) was found to be practicing engineering without a license by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors last year. The company has yet to remedy the violation, according to the city traffic engineer.
Todd Platzer, a local resident, raised the issue at a heated council meeting, saying that the city cannot have the red light camera installation plans retroactively certified by a licensed engineer. ATS attempted to do just that in Greenville when it hired Robert F. Rennebaum, a licensed engineer. Rennebaum was sanctioned on May 28 and ordered to pay a $5000 fine.
"You were notified that the board had sufficient evidence which supports a charge of gross negligence, incompetence or misconduct," the engineering board wrote to Rennebaum. "The resulting investigation determined that Robert F. Rennebaum, PE affixed seal to work not done under direct supervisory control; aided or abetted another to evade or attempt to evade the provisions of G.S. 89C; and failed to comply with the standard certification requirements by not including date of signing and failing to include firm licensing number on documents."
Platzer urged the council to take the matter seriously.
"Practicing engineering without a license is a criminal offense, just as it is a criminal offense for a hospital to practice medicine without a license," Platzer said. "Engineering and medical practice are licensed professions for the same reasons."
The contract renewal also invites a challenge that it is in violation of the state constitutional provision that requires ninety percent of the proceeds of every fine to go to the school system. The city circumvented the ruling by signing an interlocal agreement with New Hanover County Schools to share the photo ticketing profits. ATS is expected to collect $1 million in revenue from its ticketing program, out of which ATS pockets $460,000 and the school sends $234,000 back to Wilmington.
The council unanimously approved a contract extension through September 30, 2020.
Follow the money....
It’s all about the money, Jim.
Kickbacks to the politicians.
Hoodie response required here...
Need redlight and speed trap camera “necklacing” like they practice in the UK. Make it cost prohibitive and painful.
In getting a carried away this morning.
...blaming the mimosas
I guess the lawyers in Texas got red light cameras banned because they make much more money defending folks that run red lights and kill other folks.
It’s a racket. A red light camera company came into Atlanta, first thing they did was to get the city to lower the time the yellow lights stayed on. If you’re 10 feet from an intersection, and the light goes to yellow, you can’t stop in time and you can’t cross the intersection before the light turns red. Traffic tickets soared at red lights.
The state legislature got involved and mandated yellow lights remain yellow throughout the state for a minimum of 4 seconds. The number of red light tickets in Atlanta dropped by 80%. Solid evidence the company wasn’t really catching people intent on running red lights, but just trapping innocent drivers.
Even here in liberal Minneapolistan they were banned years ago as unconstitutional.
Fwiw, “red light cameras” are ONLY about MAKING MONEY. = I’ve PAID 2 “red light tickets” in Plano, TX & in neither case did I run the red light.- In both cases, I had to stop IN the intersection due to oncoming traffic.
(Plano made it VERY INCONVENIENT to contest a ticket & TARGETED “out of town” vehicles more than “locals”.)
This is WHY Texas has outlawed “red light cameras”.
Yours, TMN78247
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