City Council OKs speed-camera zones and larger recycling bins

Ordinance would establish speed limits at more than a dozen locations near Hagerstown schools

January 24, 2012|By C.J. LOVELACE | cj.lovelace@herald-mail.com

The Hagerstown City Council Tuesday evening unanimously approved the introduction of ordinances that would designate school speed-camera zones and approve a loan to buy larger recycling bins for city residents.

The five-member council approved the introduction of an ordinance that establishes citywide school zones, which was first presented by Police Chief Arthur Smith last Tuesday.

The school zone ordinance would establish speed limits at more than a dozen locations near Hagerstown schools that could be sites for new speed-monitoring cameras. Signs will be posted in the designated areas, under the proposed ordinance.

Another proposed ordinance to authorize the use of speed-monitoring cameras in the school zones is also slated for a vote at the Jan. 31 regular session.

The purpose of the school zones and speed cameras is to improve safety for children going to and from school, as well during extra-curricular activities on school grounds, city and police officials have said.
However, tickets issued from the speed cameras would go directly to the city rather than the state like an officer-issued citation would, officials have said.

The other ordinance approved Tuesday would authorize the city to accept a $600,000 loan from Centra Bank of Hagerstown to finance the purchase of recycling trash totes that would be used in the city’s recycling and trash-collection program.

“I’m glad that we’re doing this because my trash can is running over, and my totes I currently have aren’t big enough,” Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II said.

The loan will be repaid in monthly installments over 10 years with a fixed interest rate of 4 percent for the first seven years, according to city documents. After seven years, the interest rate will be adjusted in accordance with the Wall Street Journal prime rate for the remaining three years, city documents said.
Tuesday’s special voting session was in preparation of final approval of the measures at the council’s next regular session on Jan. 31.

After final approval, the school zones ordinance would go into effect on March 1, while the tote financing ordinance would take effect on Feb. 23.

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