Ketchum Community Service Officers Wes Whitesell and Catherine Hayward have been looking for one more type of vehicle violation these past two months: idling engines.
And, Hayward said, it was an increasing problem last week with temperatures reaching below zero.
"I've literally seen a car outside Atkinsons' running for 45 minutes," she said.
The grocery store is one of the problem areas for cars left idling while parked, as is the post office and Tully's Coffee, she said.
The City Council saw it as big enough of a concern to pass an ordinance in early October limiting a vehicle's idle time to three minutes. Those that exceed that limit will be ticketed for $100 on first violation and $300 for any violation afterward. But the council mandated a yearlong educational period ending Oct. 5, 2010, during which Whitesell and Hayward will be handing out only educational fliers.
And that's exactly what they've been doing.
They're up to about 200 fliers wedged between windshields and wipers.
"We walk 10 miles a day, sometimes," Whitesell said.
And, Hayward said, people have been "very receptive."
"They care about the environment here," she said, later adding that people have asked her, "Can I keep this (flier) and pass it on?"
Air quality is the justification the council used for establishing the ordinance.
"Public agencies have the responsibility to lead the effort to improve air quality," reads an excerpt of the city ordinance.
But council members realized that exceptions exist and stuck in 13 situations when idling is acceptable. Most are common-sense exceptions such as waiting for a traffic light to turn green, running equipment like a crane or lift, or testing a serviced vehicle.
However, the city didn't give a waiver to those running their air conditioners or heaters merely for comfort.
The ordinance states that idling is allowed when "necessary to operate defrosters, heater, air conditioners, or other equipment to prevent a safety or health emergency, but not solely for the comfort of the driver or passengers."
Ketchum Police Chief Steve Harkins said people leave their cars running for "comfort" not just in the winter, but also in the heat of summer. And it has become a nuisance.
"They do it to keep their dogs warm in the winter and their dogs cold in the summer," he said.
Under the ordinance, that doesn't fly, whether it's for dogs or people.
And, Harkins said, vehicles parked at apartment buildings aren't exempt from the ordinance even though they're on private parking lots. That's because private lots have primarily public access, similar to the Atkinsons' Market parking lot, which is on private property but widely used by the public.
Harkins said a homeowner's driveway is a different story, since the public doesn't park there, and is therefore off limits for the city's new ordinance.
Hayward said she's been handing out fliers at apartments.
"People come out, start their car, then go back inside and make their coffee, forgetting about their car," Hayward said, adding that the car ends up running for much longer than needed to warm up.
But, Harkins said, the education effort is focused mostly on the downtown core.
Hayward said the fliers are getting the word out. She said the post office, which used to be the most common idling location in town, has greatly improved.
Time will only tell if Hayward's positive interaction with people receiving a flier translates into a low number of offenders by Oct. 5, when actual tickets will be issued, running at $100 each.
"I think they're just happy because they're not getting a ticket," Hayward said with a smile.
Trevon Milliard: tmilliard@mtexpress.com
Ketchum Community Service Officer Wes Whitesell places an educational flier on a car, warning the driver that a new city ordinance makes it illegal to leave their car idling for more than three minutes. Photo by David N. Seelig
