Week in review

cities see green

The flash bulbs at intersections rigged with red light cameras may have drivers seeing red, but it has cities seeing green while also touting the safety benefits of photo enforcement.

The costly tickets caused by pesky cameras are being praised by law enforcement and, as a result, are popping up in cities across San Mateo County. San Mateo, Millbrae, Redwood City and Menlo Park already use photo enforcement while other cities like Belmont and San Carlos have approved their installation. More cities are likely to follow suit.

They reduce accidents, increase revenue and free up police officers for other types of crimes, police officers claim.

Millbrae installed the cameras approximately a year and a half ago to monitor four approaches at Millbrae Avenue and Rollins Road. The City Council approved a conservative budget revenue of $100,000. A rough estimate puts ticket revenue closer to $400,000.

The city issued a total of 4,672 citations to red light runners. Each ticket is $385 and of that, $138.50 goes to Millbrae’s general fund. If everyone paid his or her tickets, the city would be due $633,000. In reality, approximately 70 percent of tickets are paid, bringing the actual revenue to $443,000. The city rents the cameras from American Traffic Solutions for $5,395 a month — or $64,740 annually.

Land plan moves to Senate

The bill that could save Half Moon Bay from paying $41 million for a federal judgment passed out of the state’s Assembly with a 45-19 vote, taking it one step closer to becoming law.

Assembly Bill 1991, sponsored by Assemblyman Gene Mullin, D-South San Francisco, narrowly passed the Assembly Wednesday. It must pass the state Senate and receive the approval of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger before it becomes law and saves the city from bankruptcy.

Attorneys representing the city claim AB 1991 is a one-time-only bill that is custom-built for Half Moon Bay’s dire situation. Environmentalists are worried it will set a precedent for future developments on wetlands.

Ex-mayor to begin jail term

Former San Carlos mayor Mike King will begin serving a 45-day sentence in July on two counts of felony fraud, ending a two-year battle to overturn his conviction for defrauding the then-named South County Fire Authority of more than $13,000 to pay a political consultant.

Judge Barbara Mallach affirmed her previous sentence of 45 days jail and three years probation for King, 66, at his first court appearance since an appellate court refused to reverse his 2006 conviction.

Last week, an appellate court ruled 3-0 not to overturn King’s convictions over the defense argument the jury was improperly influenced by faulty instructions and prosecutorial misconduct.

Rather than ask for time to seek further review of the decision, King’s defense attorney Chuck Smith asked Mallach to lift a stay on the previously-imposed sentence.