just had to post this......

I couldn't believe their was a town council in the US without a computer. Not even the courthouse....

Carefree hits computer snag while setting up photo radar

Thomas Ropp
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 12, 2003 12:00 AM


CAREFREE - The town's venture into photo radar has turned out to be anything but picture perfect.

Town officials last month thought they had found the ideal way to slow down speeders without costing taxpayers a penny.

According to Carefree Councilman Bob Coady, the town wanted to give the green light to Scottsdale-based Redflex Traffic Systems to set up photo radar vans around town. In return, Redflex would receive $35 for each speeding citation served.

"But then we ran into computer compatibility issues," Coady said.

Specifically, the Town of Carefree doesn't have its own computer server like Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, which use photo radar.

The server is necessary to store information and perform functions based on data inputted from Redflex.

"They (Redflex) pretty much thought they could just come in and download, and we could pick it up," said Carefree Court Administrator Adrianne Larson.

Larson said the Town Court uses a computer rented from the state Supreme Court. Without their own server, Larson said, the Arizona Supreme Court would have to develop a program to allow Redflex to input data on speeders.

The state Supreme Court also would have to grant permission to Carefree and Redflex to use their system.

Carefree Judge K.C. Scull said from his standpoint it's unclear how photo radar and the accompanying technological domino would impact his court.

"What we don't know sure outweighs what we know," Scull said. "But there's no question this is going to cost money."

Coady said he would like Carefree to commission traffic studies in areas where the photo radar could be set up to make sure the current speed limits are "reasonable and prudent."

One of Carefree's trouble areas is along Cave Creek Road east of Pima to the Scottsdale border. The speed limit is 40 mph but few drivers adhere to it.

Coady said Redflex did a test in this area and found over a 29-minute period, everyone who went by exceeded the speed limit by more than 15 mph.

"That's pretty intense," Coady said.

Carefree and Redflex officials will meet again today to try to work things out.