City commission amends ordinance, penalties

The Sallisaw City Commission approved on Monday an amendment to the Sallisaw Code of Ordinances updating monetary penalties.

A person convicted of a violation of Ordinance No. 2022-15 Section 1-8(c) shall be punished by a fine or deferral fee in lieu of a fine for:

• traffic-related offenses relating to speeding or parking not to exceed $200

• alcohol-related or drug-related offenses not to exceed $800 • offenses pertaining to the pretreatment of wastewater or regulating stormwater discharges shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000

• all other offenses not to exceed $750 According to the amendment, the municipal court shall remit $50 of each alcohol-related fine or deferral fee to a fund that shall be used to defray costs for enforcement of laws relating to juvenile access to alcohol, other laws relating to alcohol and other intoxicating substances, and traffic-related offenses involving alcohol or other intoxicating substances.

A municipal court technology fee shall be assessed in the amount of $15, and is in addition to and not in substitution for any and all fines and penalties.

An example of maximum fines and costs for violation of ordinances and/or statutes in municipal court include: • abandon, mistreat or restrain animal by chain — $186

• most other animalrelated offenses — $186

• cruelty to animal — $825

• unlicensed or unvaccinated dog or cat — $156

• littering — $156

• smoking in a no smoking area — $175

• many other environment offenses — $186

• juvenile assault or assault and battery — $311

• juvenile fighting in public — $311

• juvenile curfew violation — $186

• juvenile possession of alcoholic beverage — $311

• juvenile shoplifting, petit larceny — $825

• juvenile threatening school officials — $575

• assault and battery — $825 • attempt to intimidate a police officer — $825

• domestic abuse — $825

• peeping tom — $825

• possession or use of firearm while intoxicated — $825

• stalking — $825

• violation of a protective order — $825

• illegally parking in a handicap zone — $245

• aggravated DUI (BAC of .08 or more) — $825

• attempt to elude a police officer — $825

• driving under the influence — $825

• expired driver’s license — $175

• expired tag — $375

• texting while driving, commercial — $575

• texting while driving, non-commercial — $175

• many other traffic offenses — $100 to $825