Red Words

Redlands is on track to launch a red light camera enforcement program following Tuesday night's council meeting.

The council voted 4-1 to install an enforcement camera at the westbound approach of the intersection of Citrus Avenue and University Street. Police Chief Jim Bueermann and City Manager N. Enrique Martinez described the crossing as Redlands' most dangerous intersection.

Councilwoman Pat Gilbreath voted against the camera. She said at the meeting she would prefer a live patrol officer at the intersection.

Police recorded 120 collisions at the intersection between Nov. 26, 1997 and Oct. 31, 2007, according to a city document. Bueermann said at Tuesday's council meeting that one of those crashes caused the deaths of a woman and a child.

Two police officers were also involved in collisions while respondng to calls, he said.

The council approved a $6,000-a-month contract with Redflex Traffic Systems for the camera. Bueermann said the city will need to catch 1.5 drivers running red lights per day to break even on the deal.

"It's my best guess that this will not cost us anything the first year," he said.

Although Councilman Jerry Bean voted for the camera, he expressed his disapproval of the lack of a bidding process. Bueermann told the council the Police Department chose Redflex after hearing pitches from two vendors, but Bean said he will insist on bids for future purchases.

"There will come a time when I am going to automatically vote against anything that should be competitively bid that isn't," Bean said.

During Tuesday's evening session, the council also voted to endorse two ballot propositions, measures J and M.

Measure J is a $65.5-million Redlands Unified School District bond that would mostly pay for the completion of Citrus Valley High School in northern Redlands. Measure M is is a $500-million San Bernardino Community College District bond that would pay for improvements at San Bernardino Valley and Crafton Hills colleges.

Both bond measures are scheduled to appear on the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary ballot.

Gilbreath noted that she supported the bonds with reservations because she's concerned that local voters could soon grow tired of bonds. The city could place its own bond on the ballot at some point in the future to fund a new police station.