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1 <br />M <br />Chairman Eggert explained that she asked for this to be <br />brought forward because there has been a change in the law that <br />allows us to use some of the additional penalty monies to improve <br />accessibility and equal opportunity to qualified disabled persons <br />in the county and to provide funds to conduct public awareness <br />programs. She noted that this could lead to a follow-up ordinance <br />that would allow a volunteer ticketing group such as the one that <br />has been working successfully in St. Lucie County. Chairman <br />Eggert reported that she has received a lot of requests from people <br />who support an ordinance increasing the penalty to the maximum and <br />allowing the additional funds to be used for related programs. <br />Commissioner Bird wondered if the penalty should be $200 to be <br />consistent with that of the City of Vero Beach, but Chairman Eggert <br />explained that $250 is the maximum allowed by the State. <br />Chairman Eggert opened the Public Hearing and asked if anyone <br />wished to be heard in this matter. <br />Neil Duval, resident of Sebastian and president of the local <br />Spinal Cord Association, held up a petition signed by 127 persons <br />in favor of the ordinance increasing the penalty to $250 and in <br />favor of a volunteer patrol. They feel this ordinance is very much <br />needed to help slow down the illegal use of the disabled parking <br />spaces. <br />Colleen 8oullen, president of Citizens for a Barrier Free <br />Community in St. Lucie County, appreciated the opportunity to <br />address the Indian River County Commission. Their program has been <br />to establish a handicapped parking patrol by volunteers who are <br />trained by the Sheriff's Department in a 40 -hour course. Their <br />violation penalty of $102 is much less than the maximum allowed by <br />the State, but she felt that IRC's penalty would be a better <br />deterrent to keep those who are not handicapped from using the <br />handicapped parking spaces. <br />Mrs. Scullen urged the Board to make provisions for a volunteer <br />parking patrol and a public awareness program. In the year <br />19 <br />JUN 23 1992 <br />I <br />