"Proposal: Trash your tickets by cleaning city:

WVU student group suggests allowing parking violators to work off their fines"

Katie Long, The Dominion Post, July 25, 2002, p. 1A.

A group of WVU students have drafted a proposal they hope will help solve two of Morgantown's most persistent problems -- trash and parking tickets.

Spearheaded by Brian Dougherty -- who is interning with Morgantown Mayor Ron Justice -- a class of 17 Political Science 338 students have created "Pick It or Ticket," a program that would allow the recipients of parking tickets, both in Morgantown and on c ampus, to work off their debt.

The group proposes a rate of $10 credit per hour of trash pick-up as an option to paying parking fines. Credit will only be given per hour of work, no half hour or 15-minute sessions would be allowed.

Pickup areas would include the city's seven wards.

"If you have just one $2 ticket then it may not be worth it," said Mike Muncy, a member of the group of students. "But if you have a bunch of tickets, like some students do, it may be worth it."

Justice said the proposal has merit, and although there are wrinkles that need to be ironed out, he plans to bring up the idea at the next council Committee of the Whole meeting.

"The concept is very good," he said. "And it fits in with the garbage fines and the services we've put into place. I think the group has found a neat way as to how to address those issues."

Justice said the idea also shows that students in Morgantown are concerned with helping the community.

"The other part of it is that this is a class that is thinking outside of the box, and I think council needs to be receptive to that," he said.

Justice said he will forward the proposal to Morgantown Parking Authority Director Tom Arnold and Municipal Court Judge Steve Higgins soon.

Neither Arnold or Higgins were immediately available for comment Wednesday.

In researching the idea, the students did a random survey which, they said, supported the idea that Morgantown residents, students in particular, would be willing to work to pay off their parking tickets.

Justice said he hopes the idea will also encourage community service among those who have no debts.

The students will also be working with the WVU Parking Authority, the Solid Waste Authority, the WVU Student Government Association, the Sierra Club and Morgantown Police Department as part of the proposal.