The Town Council will meet for a special or irregular session on Monday, Aug. 24, and among the items on the agenda are three things forwarded to the council by the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee (TPSC).

The proposals include two items related to speed enforcement in the community and a third related to possible camera enforcement of a right-turn red light at Shea and Palisades boulevards.

A tentative agenda listing for the meeting includes consideration of a reduction in the speed limit on Palisades Blvd. between Shea and Golden Eagle boulevards. The current limit is 45 miles per hour and the proposal calls for 40.

A second ordinance calls for the implementation of “safety corridors” in the community. These would include specified areas where the Sheriff’s Office would increase enforcement. It may be continuous or doing a specified time period or activity. These are similar to school zones.

The red-light camera item is on the agenda for discussion only with an update on staff research, with the council possibly giving further direction to staff. At this time there is no council action scheduled for that item.

The TPSC was formed in 2019 by Mayor Ginny Dickey. She leads the committee and has two additional council members serving, Dennis Brown and Sherry Leckrone. Town Manager Grady Miller, MCSO Capt. Larry Kratzer and staff that includes the Public Works Director and Town Engineer.

“The Committee had been looking at stricter speed enforcement and the no-right-turn-on-red camera at Shea and Palisades along with several other measures for many months, bringing three of them forward for council consideration, including the camera,” Dickey said.

All three proposed measures passed preliminarily at the June 16 council meeting. It was a unanimous vote.

Dickey points out that several of the safety tools, such as blinking stop signs, piano key crosswalks and pavement striping, have been implemented administratively.

“The camera (would) not be used to video or surveil anyone, not as an automated license plate reader, not as a revenue source, or for any purpose other than to deter red light runners – those illegally turning right-on-red where prohibited at one intersection, Shea and Palisades,” Dickey said.

Council has not discussed nor has there been any proposal to install speed cameras in Fountain Hills.

“Depending on the staff report, input from law enforcement, cost and effectiveness, we will consider moving ahead to find a vendor to install a camera at that intersection on Aug. 24,” Dickey said. “Only qualified law enforcement professionals will view the photos of apparent violations. It is expected that fines collected would help pay for the system so the Town could break even. Council may direct the balance, if any, to go toward road maintenance.”

That intersection had been confirmed to be too hazardous to allow right turns on red.

“We expect to hear accident data at the (Aug. 24) meeting, in addition to the preventative effect of decreasing illegal right turns, making our residents, workers and visitors safer in Fountain Hills,” Dickey said.

Any agenda discussion as of press time is preliminary with items subject to change up to 24-hours prior to the meeting time. The session is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24. It is open to the public, but COVID-19 restrictions related to wearing masks and distancing will be in effect.