Miami-Dade
Legislative Item File Number: 072841 |
Printable PDF Format Clerk's Official Copy |
File Number: 072841 | File Type: Resolution | Status: Adopted | ||||||||||||||||||||
Version: 0 | Reference: R-1248-07 | Control: County Commission | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Requester: NONE | Cost: | Final Action: 11/6/2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunset Provision: No | Effective Date: | Expiration Date: |
Registered Lobbyist: | None Listed |
Legislative History |
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Acting Body | Date | Agenda Item | Action | Sent To | Due Date | Returned | Pass/Fail |
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Board of County Commissioners | 11/6/2007 | 11A14 | Adopted | P | |||
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Budget and Finance Committee | 10/9/2007 | 2J | Forwarded to BCC with a favorable recommendation | P | |||
REPORT: | Assistant County Attorney Jess McCarty read the foregoing proposed resolution into the record. Chairman Martinez relinquished the chair to Commissioner Sorenson. Commissioner Souto and Diaz asked that they be listed as co-sponsors. It was moved by Commissioner Martinez that this proposed resolution be forwarded to the County Commission with a favorable recommendation. This motion was seconded by Commissioner Gimenez. In response to Commissioner Diaz’s concern regarding reports that cities could not use unmanned cameras at intersections, Commissioner Martinez pointed out this proposed resolution urged the Legislature to allow use of these cameras and encouraged municipalities to urge the Legislature. Hearing no other questions or comments, the Committee proceeded to vote. | ||||||
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County Attorney | 9/25/2007 | Assigned | Jess M. McCarty | ||||
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County Attorney | 9/25/2007 | Referred | Budget and Finance Committee | 10/9/2007 | |||
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Legislative Text |
TITLE RESOLUTION URGING THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE TO ALLOW THE USE OF UNMANNED CAMERAS AT INTERSECTIONS WITH TRAFFIC SIGNALS IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE RED-LIGHT RUNNING BODY WHEREAS, red-light running is one of the major causes of accidents, deaths and injuries at intersections with traffic signals; and WHEREAS, recent crash statistics show that there were 206,000 red-light running accidents nationwide, with nearly 1,000 deaths and 176,000 injuries; and WHEREAS, red-light cameras can help reduce red-light running by automatically photographing vehicles whose drivers run red lights; and WHEREAS, studies in California and Virginia have shown that red-light cameras can reduce red-light running by approximately forty percent (40%); and WHEREAS, the Federal Highway Administration has concluded that red-light cameras can be an effective measure to prevent red-light running and encourages the use of red-light cameras; and WHEREAS, Florida law authorizes the use of cameras to enforce toll collections on the Florida Turnpike System; and WHEREAS, Florida's Attorney General recently issued an opinion concluding that legislative changes to Florida law are necessary before local governments can issue traffic citations and penalize drivers who fail to obey red lights based solely on unmanned red-light cameras, see AGO 2005-4; and WHEREAS, cameras could be used solely to photograph the license plates of vehicles that run red lights; and WHEREAS, photographs of license plates could be used to create a rebuttable presumption that the owner of the vehicle violated traffic laws related to running red lights; and WHEREAS, citations issued as a result of photographic evidence could be limited only to nonmoving violations, so that fines might apply, but no points would issue as a result of the violation if the citation is based on photographic evidence, similar to parking tickets; and WHEREAS, having citations based on photographic evidence of running a red-light or blocking an intersection could nonetheless prohibit a driver from renewing license tags or a driver's license to increase enforcement; and WHEREAS, the Governor recently expressed support for legislation that would allow local governments to use unmanned red light cameras, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board: Section 1. Urges the Florida Legislature to allow the limited use of cameras at intersections with traffic signals to enforce traffic infractions in an effort to reduce red-light running, provided that only nonmoving violations could be issued and the cameras only photograph license plates, but providing that license tags or drivers' licenses may not be renewed with outstanding citations of this type. Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the Governor, Senate President, House Speaker, and the Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade County State Legislative Delegation. Section 3. Directs the County's state lobbyists to advocate for the passage of the legislation and the implementation of the reforms set forth in Section 1 above, and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to include this item in the 2008 State Legislative Package. |
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