Students and faculty alike believe they’ve seen an increase in the number of parking tickets issued by the UTM department of Public Safety recently.
However, Director Scott Robbins and Captain Ray Coleman say the parking regulations are the same as they have been for a long time.
“Our parking regulations were passed on June 28, 1969,” Robbins said.
“… I believe one of the first things in the parking guidelines is that if you are affiliated with the university, you have to have a parking permit.”
While Public Safety says the enforcement of the regulations has been the same for years, UTM Chair of Music Dr. Elaine Harriss disagrees.
“I’ve seen the increase over several semesters. I became aware of such when I saw someone ticketing in a lot at 9 at night. There were few cars there. I even asked them why they were ticketing,” Harriss said.
Coleman says he has been with the university for 31 years, and the regulations have been the same for the duration.
Many are unhappy with 24-hour parking and believe this is a “waste of resources” on the university’s behalf.
“I consider it a waste of human resources to monitor lots during hours when there is no competition for spaces. It is also an unfortunate way to antagonize guests, taxpayers and UTM supporters,” Harriss said.
It has been UTM’s policy that all faculty, staff and students display a parking permit each semester on the windshield of their vehicles. Passes are required to park in any lot on campus.
“All motor vehicles operated by faculty, staff and students in connection with their employment or attendance at [UTM] but is not limited to, residents of Grove and University Courts Apartments who use [UTM] parking lots. For purposes of these regulations, a motor vehicle is operated by a faculty member, staff member or student if the vehicle is being used to transport the faculty member, staff member or student to the [UTM] campus,” according to the Basic Regulations for UTM Parking guidelines.
Coleman says the department has not changed the regulations, but they do want to be fair to every student. Tickets are given 24 hours a day, because according to the parking regulations guidelines, registration is always required.
“A lot of people think we don’t write tickets after 5 p.m.; well, of course we do. What is different than taking a night class versus a day class? We want to be fair to everyone,” Coleman said.
Although tickets will be given at any time during the day or night to students, faculty and staff, visitors to campus will still be safe from ticketing, provided they follow the basic parking regulations.
“If [visitors] receive tickets and they send them in, we verify they are visitors, and we just void the ticket; that’s the only way we know who is a visitor and who is a student,” Coleman said.
Harris believes that while Public Safety says visitors are exempt from having to pay their parking tickets, many become aggravated with the process.
“Though tickets say guests do not have to pay, I have observed over the years that guests do not read that and become agitated and upset. My response is to take the ticket and assure them as guests they do not have to pay,” Harriss said.
Because many members of the community use various buildings on campus for meetings, athletic events or recreation, the Department of Public Safety tries to work with organizations to ensure they do not receive unnecessary tickets.
“We want to encourage people to come to campus, but we want to make sure [we are] fair, if they are supposed to have a sticker,” Coleman said.
Coleman says that the department works with the university on all dates where major events or group meetings will be held on campus. Tickets are not given on these dates for failure to register.
“If we have a mass athletic event or mass group meeting in the UC, we just don’t issue tickets for not having a sticker. We still enforce yellow curbs, fire-lanes or handicap. We don’t write tickets for that reason because it’s an administrative thing so there’s no need to write them if there’s a big event on campus. We want to work with them,” Coleman said.
Visitors can obtain a temporary pass from the department to prevent the possibility of receiving a ticket. The temporary pass is provided at no charge.
“We do not charge for visitor parking; there is no [official] registration for them,” Coleman said.
However, for students, faculty and staff, to avoid receiving tickets, a parking permit can be purchased from Public Safety for $60. The 2013-2014 pass can be used through the Summer 2014 term.
Other efforts to avoid ticketing can also be taken. Coleman recommends paying attention to posted parking signs and only parking in designated areas.
“We enforce fire lanes; dorm parking is reserved for residents. Unless otherwise posted, staff lots open after 3 p.m. There are a couple of staff lots with 4 and 5 p.m. times, so watch for those,” Coleman said.
For students who have not yet purchased their passes, vehicles must be registered through banner. Passes can then be picked up from the Public Safety office between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
