Wheeling ‘Food for Fines’ Holiday Program Returns in December
Eric Ayres Trending
An updated version of the city of Wheeling's Food for Fines holiday drive will take place this year during the month of December.
Members of Wheeling City Council this week unanimously approved a resolution instituting the Food for Fines program. The initiative allows motorists to pay overtime parking violations with donations of non-perishable food items instead of cash during the holidays. The items will be donated to local non-profit agencies.
This is the seventh year that the city has adopted the Food for Fines program during the holiday season.
"Brian Wilson lives on," said Councilman Dave Palmer, noting that the program initiated by a former colleague on council is still being embraced.
"That was going to be my comment, councilor -- a shoutout to former 3rd Ward Councilman Brian Wilson," Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott said during this week's council meeting when the resolution was adopted. "This was his idea, but this is something that I think shows a good holiday spirit on behalf of the city and city council."
Elliott noted that the program has been very successful in the past, with hundreds of non-perishable food items being donated to local food pantries in lieu of $10 parking fines.
"In the spirit of the season, we feel it is important to help the area nonprofit agencies again this year," the mayor noted. "They, in turn, can provide some additional support to those who may need it. This is just a small way city council can give back to our community. No one is ever pleased to get a parking ticket, but this is an opportunity to turn that parking fine into something positive."
City leaders noted that parking tickets may be few and far between this year, simply because the Downtown Streetscape Project has "hit its stride" and has most of the parking meters along Main and Market streets in the downtown area removed, and construction zones along sidewalks on both sides of the streets have left a very limited number of available on-street parking spaces.
However, side streets downtown, metered spots in other neighborhoods and the Centre Market area provide plenty of other opportunities to get overtime parking tickets.
"I don't know if the fines this year will be quite as many with half of downtown not inhabitable by car, but I encourage folks -- if you do get a ticket, think about this program," Elliott said.
"We are accepting cleaning items and personal hygiene items this year, as well, instead of just food," Wheeling City Clerk Jessica Zalenski noted. Fines can be paid through a donation of five non-perishable food items, or -- because of the success of the program in the past -- cleaning or personal hygiene items.
"This will be for any ticket received in the month of December," Wheeling Vice Mayor Chad Thalman added, noting that the program will apply to overtime parking violations received from Dec. 1 through Jan. 2.
Food donations must be taken to the city's finance department on the first floor of the City-County Building, 1500 Chapline St. -- the same location where a fine would be paid.
Nonprofit organizations interested in receiving donations are asked to contact the finance department at 304-234-6473.