Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Tekoa mayor John Jaeger will soon add a new aspect to his position.
“I’ve got a pet peeve in this town. I hate it when people make U-turns and park on the wrong side of the street,” he said.
Seeing this happen on Crosby Street, the main business street in town, Jaeger – at the last city council meeting April 20 – asked if the council would have any problem with him writing citations for U-turns.
They had none.
“To me it’s a sign of disrespect for a small town,” Jaeger said.
The mayor will now get a stack of forms from Tekoa’s Code Enforcement Officer, Mike Bogenreif, and put them in his pickup. Bogenreif is also a deputy sheriff.
Proceeds for a $124 ticket will go to Whitman County District Court
In leading up to this, Jaeger recalled two incidents in which he spotted violators.
One was a Brinks Security Truck – an armored car – which was backing up for a U-turn on Crosby after a stop at AmericanWest Bank.
Jaeger walked up and asked the driver what he was doing.
Not satisfied with the tone and/or content of the man’s response, Jaeger ended up taking the matter up with the Brinks main office in Spokane.
Another time, he walked out of the Feeding Station café on Crosby to see three motorcycle riders pull a U-turn and park in front of the building.
Jaeger, who happened to have just finished eating with Bogenreif, approached the riders and let them know they ought to move their bikes or they’d get a citation as soon as Bogenreif walked out and saw them.
The three men then turned around and walked back to their motorcycles, pulled another U-turn and left town.
No U-Turn signs are posted on each side of Crosby Street.
A town’s Code Enforcement Officer most often writes citations for dogs, junk vehicles, burning and noise violations.
As determined by state law, a city council makes ordinances and the mayor, as executive officer, is responsible for carrying them out.
“It’s sort of my job anyway,” Jaeger said of writing citations.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
Reader Comments(0)