PORTAGE | The City Council will likely take action before year's end on a new law that will not only allow fines from speeding tickets to flow into city coffers, but also will change the speed limit on many city streets.

The City Council Ordinance Committee this week forwarded the proposal to the city attorney's office to draw up the new legislation that they hope will be enacted yet this year.

The proposal came from City Councilman Ted Uzelac, also a city police officer.

Currently when police write speeding citations, they are prosecuted under state law. Fines and court costs go to state coffers. State law would require the violations to be prosecuted through a county or municipal court. While Portage doesn't have a city court, the violations can be prosecuted by the city through the county superior court. The city only receives $3 per ticket, which is deposited into the Police Department's continuing education fund.

But state law also allows municipalities to write tickets under local ordinance. By doing so, the fine and a portion of the court costs are returned to the city.

To take advantage of the local ordinance, however, speed limits on city streets cannot mirror those set by state law.

The committee, on the recommendation of the Traffic Commission, will re-establish speed limits. That will include setting a limit of 40 mph for the full length of Willowcreek Road, which now has varying speed limits: 35 mph on most connector streets such as Central and Stone avenues and Lute, Airport and Swanson roads, which are now predominantly 30 mph, and 25 mph on subdivision or residential streets, which are presently 30 mph.

Once approved by the City Council, the city will post more than 300 new speed limit signs throughout the city warning residents of the changes in the speed limits. Committee members said they also wanted to conduct a publicity blitz before the new speed limits go into effect to make sure residents are aware of the changes.