by TaLeiza Calloway
news@thenewsleaders.com
Those who want to contest violation tickets in St. Joseph have to go to St. Cloud to appeal offenses.
While the process has been in place for about a year, a vote by the St. Joseph City Council taken last month formalized the process in writing, said Judy Weyrens, city administrator.
Weyrens said St. Joseph contracts with the city of St. Cloud for prosecution services. That means if a resident is ticketed for violating a city ordinance and wants to contest it, the appeals process will take place in St. Cloud.
During the Feb. 16 council meeting, St. Joseph Police Chief Pete Jansky said having the new appeals process in place provides a benefit to the city and residents.
“It takes the police department out of a mediation role,” Jansky told city council members. “It puts it in the hands of an unbiased person.”
Rather than go through a state citation process to appeal offenses, city staff can offer mediation internally, and a resident has the option to pay for an administrative hearing in St. Cloud. Mediation is free, Weyrens said.
The city pays about $36,000 annually for prosecution services from St. Cloud.