The City Council today will consider a proposal that would allow police to immobilize vehicles whose owners have more than three outstanding parking tickets.

Under the proposal, police would be allowed to place on one wheel a metal "boot." The boot could be removed if the owner pays his tickets, plus a processing fee, by phone with a credit card or debit card.

The owner would then be given a code to remove the boot and would have 24 hours to return it or the credit card would be charged an additional $500.

Denver; Wilmington, Del.; Richmond, Va.; and Norwalk, Conn., all have adopted similar programs.

"Denver has a new 'smart boot' program that efficiently allows the police to lock vehicles with more than three unpaid parking tickets. I think Honolulu should seriously look at implementing Denver's system for O'ahu vehicles that lack insurance or have excessive unpaid parking tickets," said councilman Charles K. Djou, the bill's author, in a news release. "I am excited that this plan can be implemented at minimal cost to the taxpayers and will help remove illegal vehicles from our streets."

The boot seems to pay big dividends quickly, at least in one city that recently started booting cars to collect unpaid parking tickets.

The city of Syracuse, N.Y., started booting vehicles on Jan. 15 and collected nearly $4,000 on the first day, reported The Post-Standard, a Syracuse newspaper.

And The Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Va.) reported that the city collected $36,940 in outstanding parking fines from Feb. 1, 2006, to the end of November last year, by using the boot.

Today, the boot proposal is scheduled for the first of three required votes.

BAN ON LIQUOR ADS

The council today also will consider a ban on liquor ads and posters within 500 feet of city parks to protect minors.

The liquor ad measure was proposed by councilman Todd K. Apo after discussion with residents of the Leeward Coast that he represents. It would prohibit stores from advertising liquor sales in windows or other areas visible from beach parks and other public spaces.

In an e-mail to residents, Patty Teruya, chairwoman of the Nanakuli/Ma'ili neighborhood board, said she does not approve of establishments with "large posters of beer signs and promoting the sale of liquor" on storefronts along the mauka side of Farrington Highway, directly across from several beach parks.

"I will tell you all that these signs are not healthy in our community and for those of you who may not live in the Wai'anae Coast the same problem may occur in your community," the e-mail said.

The city already bans liquor ads within 500 feet of schools. This measure is also up for the first of three required votes today.

"I think a continued effort in regards to alcohol and how it affects minors is important," Apo said. "This is just another way to have an impact on that. It's worth having a discussion to see where it leads us."

HAWAIIAN STREET NAMES

Another bill before the council today would mandate the city to correct the spelling of Hawaiian words on street signs. The measure, proposed by councilman Donovan M. Dela Cruz, notes that many signs do not include the diacritical marks — 'okina and kahako — used in written Hawaiian.

The bill arose out of discussions with people who pointed out that the exclusion of diacritical marks changes the meaning of some Hawaiian words.

Dela Cruz said the proposal crystallized at a recent unveiling for a cement sign in Ka'a'awa that did not include any diacritical marks in the town's name.

"The sign etched in concrete was missing two 'okina so the community said we spelled it wrong. We have a lot of Native Hawaiian constituents," Dela Cruz said. "If we're going to teach people about Hawai'i's culture and history we need to lead by example."