Edmond Window Tinting Law Goes Into Effect Oct. 1
A new Edmond law regarding the amount of window tinting on your car goes into effect Wednesday.
No need to panic unless you have very dark, custom tinting on your vehicle.
Basically, Edmond is aligning its ordinance to reflect the state’s window tinting law.
SIX REASONS TO HAVE WINDOW TINTING
Here’s what you need to know: According to the state law enacted in 2005 the darkness of tint on a window is measured by Visible Light Transmission percentage. This is simply the percentage of light allowed through the combination of film and the window.
The law states nonreflective tint is allowed along the top of the front windshield above a certain line. By law, your front passenger windows must allow in more than 25 percent light. Back passenger and rear windows must allow more than 10 percent light.
There is also the point of how reflective the tint on your vehicle’s windshield can be. Just like sunglasses, some tinting film contains metallic elements that reflect incoming light, reducing glare and heat generated by light. Front and back side windows cannot be more than 25 percent reflective.
Let me put it to you this way. If your car came with factory tinting, you’re more than likely OK. If you or the previous owner of your vehicle put custom tinting on windows, it’s probably a good idea to go to the place that did the tinting to see if you are in compliance.
Police officer Milo Box said Edmond residents also can go to the police department to have their window tinting checked to see if it complies.
Edmond police have a small handheld laser device that measures the amount of tint on vehicle windows. If the tinting is too dark, it could get drivers a $144 fine beginning Wednesday.
Supporters Of Public Safety Center Make Their Case
This post is from Deputy Police Chief Steve Thompson in response to the letter posted here on this blog by Edmond attorney Barry Rice. Thompson’s comments are a rebuttal to the points Rice made about a proposed public safety center in Edmond.
I am so glad I found this blog, there is more misinformation here than one can possibly imagine and I will try to correct that. I am the project coordinator for the project and the deputy chief of police. I will start with Mr. Rice’s letter.
There are not 6 acres of “green” park space there are 4 acres of under utilized un-maintained surplus property that the YMCA uses as practice field, with no scheduled games there. Go to http://edmondok.com/home/features/publicsafetycenterfaq for a video that shows this property, there are also 2 acres of surplus property that houses some abandoned buidings that used to be street department buildings.
This project has been studied and re-studied, watch the video on the link, you will see that.
$3 million fitness center, that’s ridiculous. Our architect said it would cost 116,000.00. Mind you this is not a spa, but a strength fitness center so our officers can be in good shape so they can protect themselves and to protect you. Buying cops gym memberships, they really don’t like working out next to the guy they arrested last week, and neither would you.
$100,000 for a Chief’s office, there again intentional mis-information. It will cost $16,000 and will be 100 square feet smaller than his current office.
In the last few years the city has added 130 acres of new park land. The council is also committed to replacing these 2 dilapidated ball fields.
I have read the master plan, the only thing it says about the police department is that it is currently downtown. Police Departments do nothing for the economic growth of a downtown, they deter from it. No one has ever jumped up on a Saturaday morning and said “Come on kids, I saw where Edmond Downtown just built a new police station, let’s go see it!”
I don’t know how big a Wal-Mart is, but Edmond does need a 83,000 sq foot public safety center, unless you just want to build for today’s needs and not plan for the future again, and have a space need 2 years after you occupy the building, that is just poor planning.
Speaking of planning, the project will go to planning when it’s approved by the voters and designed, just like all other projects, same with site plan review.
The city is following the same procedures everyone else is. If you used $15 million you would get a project that would not meet the need, just like the project we are in now.
Waiting would not save, waiting would cost. Constructions figures are escalating at about 6 per cent per year. Property tax Vs. sales tax? Because the average tax payer will pay less, the city will also get a much better rate on the bond or loan because the property tax is much more stable. If the city used sales tax it would take longer to pay off and it would cost about 5 million more in the life of the bond. The average cost will be 3.66 increase per month in every 100,000 value in property.
There is not a planned 19,000,000 public safety center. The city does not have plenty of land downtown for this project, unless we tore down city hall or the other occupied city service buildings, talk about abandoning downtown!
The figure used of $266.00 per year on the average home…. That would be the cost on a $600,000.00 home, which I don’t think is average….
OK now to some of the other comments:
Research shows that when police facilities move to neighborhoods, crime reduces. Police departments do that intentionally in high crime areas as a strategy. I am a life long Edmondite, I am very familiar with Barnett Field and it served it’s purpose at one time, I used to play organized ball there. It’s not being utilized any longer for anything other than practice. As you know Chitwood Park is directly across the street and it one of our finest parks.
Everything is included in the $31.5 million, I think I already answered some of your other questions here. If we build at Main and Kelly prisoners will be arraigned by video, therefore will not need to be transported to the court.
As far as noise, our officers, unlike fire fighters, respond from inside their district not from the police station, generally.
We will not shoot down Main Street. In an emergency response, that would be the least effective and safe travel mode, unless of course we are responding to inside that neighborhood.
Please don’t hesitate to ask any other questions, go watch the video. The COPS Community council will be hosting a town hall meeting on the subject Oct 20th at 6:30 p.m. in the Downtown Community Center.
Bottom line, this is about Edmond’s Public Safety, you will see that if you watch the video
http://edmondok.com/home/features/publicsafetycenterfaq
Should You Pay For Religious Public Art In Edmond?
Edmond has made a name for itself as a leader when it comes to its public art program. The city is truly a shining beacon of artistic expression.
Now the Visual Arts Commission, which is given the mission of choosing what art is displayed publicly and helps fund those projects, is faced with an unenviable task.
Since early this year members of the commission have studied the guidelines used by other cities that sponsor public art. The members were especially keen on finding the wording in helping them decide guidelines for religious art.
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The commission has been twice faced with deciding on funding art project of Biblical proportions. After a public outcry, an abstract statue of Moses was eventually placed on the grounds of Edmond’s First Christian Church after some residents agreed to pay the city’s stake in the statue and relieve them from funding religious art.
Classic Cars Roll Into Edmond
I miss my first car.
I had just turned 16 when I bought a used, but pristine, 1967 Pontiac Lemans. Light blue with white interior, my car was slightly raised in the back with a Cherrybomb exhaust; you guys know what I’m talking about. I had the car for about five years when the price of gasoline jumped from 30 cents a gallon up to 80 cents.
We would all shout hallelujah if gas prices were that low today, but in 1977 with gas shortages and rationing nationwide I did what a lot of people were doing. I downsized and traded my car for a Pinto.
Now that you are perhaps laughing out of control, let me tell you, I still long to see classic cars from that era. Fortunately, Edmond Family Counseling is hosting its 14th Annual Route 66 Classics in the Park Car Show and Craft Fair on Saturday. About 200 classic car exhibitors are expected, and the two best cars in each of 27 categories will receive a trophy. Some of the categories include street rod, antique auto and custom. Cost to enter a car is $25.
About 30 crafters also will be offering everything from children’s toys and jewelry to home decor and furniture and there will be hamburgers, hot dogs, polish sausage and ice cream.
The proceeds from the event go to Edmond Family Counseling, 1251 N Broadway. The show is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hafer Park, 1034 S Bryant. For more information, call 341-3554.
If you happen to come across a light blue, ‘67 Lemans with white interior, let me know.
Who’s To Blame For The Traffic Mess In Edmond?
I get lots of e-mails from readers unhappy with the road construction around Edmond.
As an example here is part of one of the e-mails I recently received – With 33rd street being an alternate route due to construction on Memorial at Broadway, why wasn’t the rail crossing repaired BEFORE the work on Memorial began? “
Its easy to point the blame at the city leaders, but some of these projects and their schedules are out of their hands.
The repairs at the 33rd Street railroad crossing was a Burlington Northern Santa Fe project. The improvements happened as they fit on their calendar. It just also happened to come at the time Kelly was taken away as a route out of Edmond.
Take the complaints about the closing of Kelly from Danforth to Covell. Again the improvements there are being made by the builder of the new Lowes. In an agreement with the city, the widening of Kelly at the stores entrance along with a traffic light was part of an agreement where the builders paid for the expense in exchange for a faster turn-around time. But, who knew July and August would be as wet as they were?
Think about work on Western or Covell. These projects are Oklahoma County improvements. The city pays for the materials and the county does the work. Again, these projects occur when they fit the county’s schedule.
Everyone loves improvements once they are finished. But we all hate getting there. Chaos seems the rule until the completion date. That’s progress folks. Edmond is busting at its seems, we’re in a remarkable reccesion, and oh yeah, gas prices are making the cost of just about everything go through the roof.
The best advice I can give you if you travel in and out of Edmond everyday is to find an alternate route and stick with it, expect changes and buy a Frank Sinatra CD and relax along the drive.
