PINELLAS PARK – Councilman Rick Butler told the City Council on Aug. 28 that he did not use his influence to escape a traffic ticket.
Butler was stopped on Aug. 13 in the 9000 block of 49th Street when police set up a faux traffic stop and then wrote 200 tickets to drivers who did not obey the so-called “Move Over Law.”
That law was passed in 2002 and requires motorists to slow down or move to the next lane of traffic to give wider berth to emergency vehicles. City police handed out 200 of the $111 tickets that also resulted in three points on a drivers’ license.
The controversy with Butler arose when local activist Randy Heine complained that the councilman received a warning instead of a ticket like most others who were stopped that day.
“He should have been treated like anyone else,” Heine said. “I’m not a fan of sting operations and police should stop them.”
Heine said warnings should have been given to all motorists that were stopped that day.
“Ordinary people who work for a living should have been given a break,” Heine said.
Butler said he did not use his influence as a councilman to escape a summons.
“I saw an empty police car and an empty civilian car and I thought the cop was in trouble,” Butler said. “It’s my nature to help when I see someone in trouble.”
In other matters, the council approved an ordinance to rezone property at 4701 Park Blvd. from B-1 General Commercial to B-1 General Commercial with a Commercial Planned Unit Development overlay.
Also approved on second and final reading was a measure rezoning property at 5840 Park Blvd. from B-1 General Commercial to a mixed-use district. A commercial building on the property will be razed and replaced with a new one that will contain medical and professional offices and residential units.
The council also approved an ordinance that grants an annexation for land at 6093 106th Ave.
Carl T. Gingola was reappointed member and chairperson and Nancy E. Morais was reappointed as alternate member of the Civil Trial Commission for three-year terms.
