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Speeding, littering, walking dogs off-leash and several other small crimes soon will cost you another Andrew Jackson in Steamboat Springs. City Council voted, 4-3, Tuesday to add a $20 surcharge to fines for most municipal violations.

The Steamboat Springs Police Department also suggested a $5 surcharge for parking violations, but that provision of the surcharge ordinance was removed because of council members' concerns that it could have a chilling effect on downtown business and affect locals disproportionately.

The surcharges will be used to pay for training and equipment for the Police Department, except in the case of animal violations. Surcharges on those tickets will be put toward the development of city dog parks. Council members Loui Antonucci, Steve Ivancie, Jon Quinn and Walter Magill voted in favor of the ordinance. Council members Cari Hermacinski, Scott Myller and Meg Bentley voted against it.

The ordinance passed a preliminary reading, which included the parking surcharges, two weeks ago, 5-1, with Myller dissenting and Hermacinski absent.

Steamboat Police Capt. Bob DelValle said the surcharges would help mitigate cuts to the department's training budget that were made as part of citywide budget cuts.

"I think this is a great way to solve a problem," Quinn said.

Hermacinski disagreed and said the city should simply raise fines. The difference is that the increased revenue would go to the city's general fund and wouldn't be earmarked for specific purposes. Hermacinski said that was more appropriate so that the city could weigh the needs of the Police Department against all its needs in deciding how to allocate the money.

Myller and Bentley said it was a bad time to put an additional burden on residents.

"I still just don't feel like this is the right way to raise revenue," Myller said. "It adds insult to injury. : These are good programs, we just need to find money elsewhere for them."

Also Tuesday, council unanimously approved the final reading of an ordinance that would prohibit the demolition of structures in certain zone districts at the base of Steamboat Ski Area without an approved plan for redevelopment.

The ordinance was spurred by the demolition of Ski Time Square and Thunderhead Lodge, and subsequent claims by developers with The Atira Group that they may need as many as five years to break ground on redevelopment projects.

Hermacinski referred to the law as the "Save the Ptarmigan" ordinance, referring to the Ptarmigan Inn at the base area that has been proposed for redevelopment.