Re “Parking Meter Relief – Old Schedule Resumes Today”
Mr. Noonan,
Sometimes I wonder if you and I attend the same City Council meetings. I know you have written your reports while being at the meeting and from watching the webcast.
Even one time you wrote an article based on neither. The webcast was not available so you called City Hall and asked what happened at the meeting. I saw you at the last City Council meeting, so I know you were there. You forgot to mention the motion was split.
Adopt the proposed resolution directing the Chief of Police to suspend until July 10 (1) enforcement of extended hours of operation for metered parking from 6 p. m. until 11 p.m., and all day on Sundays.
From a financial standpoint, staff estimated that the additional revenue generated by the extended enforcement hours would have been $297,593. Suspending the enforcement for 90 days will decrease anticipated revenue by approximately 25 percent, $75,000.
What you did not mention was the filling of the newly created positions of two Parking Enforcement Officers and two Community Services Officers was not suspended.
Total projected cost for two PEOs and two radios is approximately $170,500.
Total projected cost for two CSO’s, two radios, six coin vaults, and one truck (including operations and maintenance) is approximately $167,000.
You wrote:
“Without even a wispy dandelion of resistance, the City Council last night breezily set aside loudly heralded, muscularly resisted just-born Downtown parking meter regulations for between six weeks and three months. __
“Two key components have been temporarily whacked.
__”Effective immediately, the electronically controlled newly installed meters will be turned back from an 11 p.m. shutoff time to the familiar old 6 o’clock line. Sunday metered parking is retreating into repose after a failed four-week try. __
“Call it a signal triumph for the impressively marshalled pushback strength of the Downtown Business Assn. Restaurateurs who complained publicly for the first time when the regulations were two weeks old, can take a bow over the swift response by the Council.”
_What you did not mention were the facts that I showed at the City Council meeting. I showed the fact that a DBA business owner has been receiving special treatment. What you failed to mention was a business owner placed a note on his dashboard that resulted in him not getting a ticket… while a non- business owner got a ticket only 50 feet away from the business owner.
What you did not mention was the DBA has more than simply pushback strength.
They have the strength to be immune from tickets. How else can you explain 57 meters being expired without one ticket being written?
How else can you explain someone not getting a ticket for six months of daily violations?
Do you really think hiring two more PEOs is going to change that? That is the real strength of the DBA.
Mr. Anderson may be contacted at cary@culvercity.TV
Ari Noonan comments: What I think is unimportant. What I report is. I never have covered a meeting via webcast nor made such a call to City Hall.
Further, I have difficulty tracing your logic. If the DBA succeeded in getting the metered evening hours and all-day Sunday suspended, pending further study, how does that make a statement of influence regarding two more Parking Enforcement Officers?
