Lamar approves automated-enforcement ordinance and vendor contract

Lamar City Council on Monday approved an ordinance creating a citywide framework for automated vehicle identification and photo enforcement and a three-year contract with Metatropic LLC to implement it. Police Chief Jim Rittner said the system could begin operating around October, but only after the ordinance takes effect and a mandatory warning period is completed.

The ordinance allows automated enforcement of speeding and traffic-signal violations in locations authorized by state law. For the initial corridors, it names school zones and Main Street within Lamar city limits. The city must coordinate corridor designations with the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado State Patrol, support them with five years of traffic data and avoid placing a corridor on a federal interstate highway.

At the July 27 council meeting, officials said drivers recorded speeding less than 10 mph over the limit would receive a warning without a penalty or surcharge for a first offense. A second or later offense could result in a notice of violation. Speeding 10 mph or more over the limit would result in a notice without that first-warning step.

Speeding penalties are capped at $40, including surcharges, except for a maximum of $80 in a school zone or designated maintenance, construction or repair zone. No penalty may exceed the limit allowed under Colorado law. Signs must be posted at least 300 feet before each enforcement corridor and camera, with temporary signs required for mobile cameras.

Notices must identify the vehicle and registered owner, provide the alleged violation’s date, time and location, list the penalty and payment deadline, and explain how to request a hearing. The deadline to dispute a violation must be at least 45 days after the notice is issued. Unpaid penalties can proceed to a final order of liability and collection after required personal service, but the city cannot report the violation as a conviction or judgment to the state Department of Transportation or immobilize the vehicle to collect the debt.

The system must retain data only when a violation occurs. Photographs and video are confidential and exempt from inspection under the Colorado Open Records Act, with access limited to operating the program, processing violations, law enforcement, transferring data to a new vendor system or unrelated legal proceedings. Violation footage must be destroyed within three years after final disposition unless another lawful purpose permits its retention.

Rittner must report annually to the council on each enforcement location and recommend whether to continue, relocate, expand or remove it. The city may publish corridor-level citation totals.

Council members said the Metatropic contract has no upfront cost to the city. The vendor will be paid through equipment-rental and processing charges billed in arrears, rather than a percentage of fines or a per-ticket payment. The council added a 90-day termination provision for either party and required review with the city treasurer. The contract’s specific dollar amounts were not stated at the meeting.

The ordinance takes effect 30 days after publication following final passage. Rittner said the city would then begin a 30-day warning period before enforcement starts; the exact launch date remains unknown.