Red-light blues
During a recent discussion about installing traffic cameras to catch red-light runners in Atherton, Councilman Alan Carlson’s attention appeared to be piqued by one topic in particular: getting out of the expensive tickets.Police Chief Bob Brennan explained to the council that not every ticket issued by mail would result in the collection of a fine, because drivers can’t always be identified.
“So all you have to do to get out of a ticket is say that it wasn’t you?” Mr. Carlson asked.
He apparently was unaware that the cameras take mug shots of the drivers, as well as photos of the offending vehicles’ license plates, but he was quickly set straight.
“You’re going to need a (fake) mustache,” teased Councilman Jerry Carlson.
Atherton officials plan to go ahead with a trial of the red-light violation cameras at three intersections in town: Oak Grove Avenue and Middlefield Road; Marsh and Middlefield roads; and Fair Oaks Lane and El Camino Real. The town is allowing Redflex Traffic Systems to conduct a free trial to see if there are enough scofflaws to make it worth the cost of installing and operating the cameras.
What price comfort?
An Almanac reporter nearly fell off her seat when it was revealed that the 50 or so battered chairs for the public at Atherton City Council meetings had cost the town $400 a piece. The utilitarian black chairs are, in this reporter’s opinion, unattractive and uncomfortable.Town staff included $33,000 in the proposed budget for 2006-07 to replace them — that’s $660 per chair, a sum that council members considered outrageously high. At the special June 14 council meeting, they cut the amount to $20,000.
“Maybe we should sell personal seat licenses, like the Oakland Coliseum,” Councilman Alan Carlson joked.
