San Fernando Valley : Parking Tickets to Be a Team Effort

When it comes to issuing parking tickets, efficiency matters. With that in mind, four San Fernando Valley cities are joining forces to smooth the way for more effective ticket writing.

The Las Virgenes Parking Administration will oversee distribution of revenues from parking tickets issued in Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village, Calabasas City Clerk Robin Parker said.

The Calabasas City Council has accepted the plan, Parker said, and the other cities are expected to follow suit. Under the system, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department--as it has in the past--will issue traffic tickets.

Beginning in December, a Tustin firm, Turbo Data Systems, will begin processing citations and collecting payments, Parker said. The firm will receive $1.12 for each citation, plus certain administrative costs, such as $10 for conducting administrative hearings, Parker said. It will also deal with the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

All revenues will be deposited into a checking account for the Parking Administration that will be overseen by the city of Calabasas, she said.

In the past, parking tickets were handled by the courts, which collected the revenues and passed them on to the cities. But a state law that went into effect in January, 1994, mandated that cities take over the job.

The four cities joined forces to save money, Parker said