LEWISTON – Fines for graffiti vandals will increase sharply, part of an overall increase in city fines and fees.

Councilors gave final approval to a 5.1 percent fee increase on nearly 500 different discretionary fees, permits and fines. They’d adopted a general increase as a part of the 2008-09 budget approved in May, but balked last month when it came time to increase specific fees.

City Administrator Jim Bennett said that while overall the fees look to increase 5.1 percent, that is an average. Some fees went up more – the cost for a DVD copy of City Council meetings from $10 each to $20 each, for example. Others didn’t increase at all.

But Councilor Denis Theriault said he didn’t have a problem doubling most fines for graffiti. Fines for first offenses will go from $250 to $500. Second offense fines will increase from $750 to $1,000 and fines for more offenses will go from $1,000 to $2,000.

“I just don’t want to play games with this,” Theriault said. “Graffiti is a form of terrorizing, and I want to send a clear message. We don’t like it.”

Councilors also discussed increasing the fee for trash collections for large apartment buildings. Buildings with more than two units pay for trash, while smaller, owner occupied buildings don’t. The fees the larger buildings pay would increase from $150 per unit to $160. Landlord Chris Aceto told councilors that was too much.

“For me, it’s not the money,” Aceto said. “It’s the fairness. The way it is now, the large buildings are subsidizing trash collections for single-family homes. Everybody should pay.”

Councilors also made future fee increase changes easier. They agreed to not list amounts in the city ordinances, but in a fee schedule built into the city’s policy manual. It should make future changes easier, since ordinance changes require the city to take out newspaper advertisements and to schedule two votes. Policy changes require a single vote by the City Council.

But Councilor Larry Poulin said he didn’t want to make it easier.

“Leave them in the ordinance, where they will get a more complete review,” he said. Poulin was only the councilor to vote against the change.

Councilors also discussed $113,299 in outstanding storm water fees. Bennett said the city cannot force residents to pay the fee, but can take them to court. If the court finds in favor of the city, he expects losing residents will be forced to pay court costs as well.

“And frankly, that’s why we haven’t pursued that yet,” Bennett said. “That will make the cost much more significant.”

But Bennett said he expects the city will take at least one resident to court this year over delinquent storm water fees. The city currently 419 accounts with unpaid balances. That includes 233 single-family homes and 147 larger buildings.

“But we expect those to be settled quickly if we go to court,” Bennett said. “People will see how expensive that will be, and we expect most of them will be taken care of after that.”