1. Enforcement of Parking RegulationsCharles A. Harball Office of City Attorney
City Attorney 312 First Avenue East
P.O. Box 1997
Kalispell, MT 59903-1997
o 111A.110 1 U-
TO: Mayor Pamela B. Kennedy
and Kalispell City Council
FROM: Charles Harball, City Attorney
Myrt Webb, Interim City Manager
Tel 406.758.7708
Fax 406.758.7771
charball@kalispell.com
SUBJECT: Enforcement of Parking Regulations — Use of Boot
ETING BATE: Monday, May 11, 2009 - Work Session
BACKGROUND: The Kalispell Parking Commission has the task of enforcing the
parking regulations in the downtown area. The tools at its disposal are the
issuance of traffic infractions at ten dollars per ticket and the use of the "boot". A
boot is a tool that incapacitates motor vehicles so that they cannot be driven away
until the owner has responded to the Municipal Court and the boot is then removed.
This proves to be a very effective tool in obtaining the necessary response and
compliance from certain vehicle owners. The boot, however, is not always perceived
as a particularly "friendly" enforcement device and it is therefore, as a matter of
policy, not used without the accrual of a certain number of unpaid tickets. Only the
worst offenders "get the boot."
The most recent challenge for the Parking Commission has been the itinerate
offenders who accrue many tickets in a short period of time and then leave town
without paying any of the tickets. The Commission is therefore looking to adapt the
policy and our ordinances to allow for a more rapid response and use of the boot in
these circumstances.
RECOMMENDATION: Mark Pirrie, Chair of the Parking Commission, would like
to discuss this matter with the City Council so that a determination can be made
about adapting the City Ordinances to this particular problem.
Respectfully submitted,
Charles Harball, City Attorney MydWebb, Interim City Manager