There’s a white, four-door Geo Prizm with Story County plates parked in lot 63, just east of Maple-Willow-Larch. It’s bad timing for the car’s owner, who doesn’t have one of the estimated 16,500 permits issued by the ISU parking division.

Aaron Steffen, parking and transit field service officer for the parking division of the department of public safety, steps out of the truck and grabs the Cardinal Ticket Writer to issue a ticket. Steffen prints out the receipt, places it in the dreaded yellow envelope and slips the envelope under the driver’s side windshield wiper. It’s a $15 fine and subject to tow because the Prizm lacks permission to be there.

Steffen said he usually issues 40 to 50 tickets per day during the fall and spring semesters. He said the number of tickets issued in the summer is a lot lower. He said it’s likely because of the weather and CyRide’s being less full during the summer months.

Steffen said while he enjoys his job, he said it is tough to be “the bad guy.”

“Everybody associates you with a fine. They don’t understand that it’s a job. It has nothing to do with my personal opinion or preferences, it’s something that we have to do; we get paid to do it,” he said. “We’re not … out here to get anybody, because all of us here are students or have been, so we know what it’s like to be on the opposite side of this.”

The owner of the car will have options when they discovers the ticket. They may either pay the fine or take the ticket to the Appeals Office, in room 29 of the Armory Building, to dispute the fine.

Appeals are examined on a case-by-case basis by an independent advisory board, not the parking division, said Mark Miller, assistant director of the parking division. Upon review, the advisory board may grant or deny the appeal. If granted, the fine is waived. If denied, the fine must be paid or those who have been fined have the option to go through an administrative appeal and through the student magistrate. The appeals process takes about two to three weeks but may take longer if further action is requested.

Miller said the $3-million income the division saw last fiscal year, from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008, through permits, fines, lot rentals, meters and miscellaneous income wasn’t pure profit. He said the money goes toward training, salaries, computer services, vehicle rentals, uniforms, costs of permits, bike paths, improvements, snow removal, maintenance and other projects throughout the year.

The parking division allocated $240,000 to partially fund CyRide’s orange route, while another $316,000 was spent for general lot maintenance. Snow removal is typically budgeted at $250,000. In addition to these expenses, the parking division also funds the HelpVan and Safety Escort services.

“We’re out trying to do our job in a professional manner, and with the many spots that are on campus and the amount of people trying to park on a given day it’s a challenge for us, but it’s something that we’re here to assist with,” Miller said.

Miller said parking fines and permit fees are ultimately determined by the Board of Regents. He said the parking division recommends dollar amounts for fines and fees to ISU administration. The ISU administration then turns their proposals for the fines and fees to the Board of Regents for approval.

With 19,000 parking spots available on campus and at Jack Trice Stadium, Miller knows students, faculty members and visitors may be confused as to where to park. His advice: Read the signs and ask questions.

“If people have questions on where they park and they don’t know, instead of just pulling into a lot and getting a ticket, not knowing why, give the parking office a call or stop by and we can show you on a map where you can park,” he said.