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| Coffee Talk COMMUNITY |
| 507 W.Marshall St. Norristown, PA 19401 Phone : 610 .272.4811 |
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| Waiting for spring in Norristown ... |
| Waiting for spring in Norristown ... |
| "When the people fear their government, there is tyranny" . -- Thomas Jefferson |
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| Some definitions: ACT OF GOD - is a legal term for events outside of human control, such as sudden floods or other natural disasters, for which no one can be hels responsible. BULLYING - is repeated acts over time that involve a real or perceived imbalance of power with the more powerful individual or group attacking those who are less powerful. ENTRAPMENT - in criminal law , entrapment is consituted by a law enforcement agent inducing a person to commit an offense that the person would otherwise have been unlikely to commit. HARASSMENT - covers a wide range of offensive behavior. it is commonly undrstood as behavior intended to disturb or upset. In the legal sense , it is bahavior which is found tratening or disturbing. IGNORANCE - is a state of being uninformed ( lack of knowldge). |
| I was at the ALDI grocery store at 12:12 and I got the ticket at 13:56 pm. Then the BIG snow came ... The street until today has not been cleaned. Tomorrow, February starts. Last Monday after 4:00am I was watching the snow plow truck pass quickly my block in the middle of the street. This trip was fully paid by the taxpayers. But the work was not done. February 1, 2011 From internet news: " Monster Storm Bears Down on America. Heavy Snow, Ice & Sleet Could Affect up to 100 Million People Across a 2,100- mile Stretch. Airlines have already canceled 4,500 flights & many schools are closed." From Times Herald: "The Tuesday night Norristown council meeting was canceled due to inclement weather. The next council session will be held at 7:30 p.m. Feb.15." I came home from work after midnight. Freezing rain made driving almost inpossible. February 2, 2011 - I got a ticket ! The whole car was frozen. The door impossible to open. The windows covered with ice. I could not repark my car . The policemen came and placed the ticket in a crack of ice. I ask him to have mercy on us. We don't make the money. There is no place to park. He just said: "You already got the ticket ...." I went home and grabbed my camera. Just to have the prove that the sidewalks are cleaned but the streets are not. (see picture #4, 5, 6 ) Because the streets are so icy and still not cleaned, I checked the possibility of paying my ticket on line. I found that if I will pay on line the transaction it will cost me $3.50 above the ticket. This is still more than a gallon of gasoline. I decided to go in person and pay this ticket on Monday, February 7th. Early Monday morning (after 4 am ), they finally plowed one side of our street. Meantime I took a few more pictures. In "normal" times I park my little car behind our house. But the wholel alley for weeks is just solid ice. Driving or walking there is really unsafe. I wanted to check if I can park my car in the back of the house. This is when I discovered the damage to my and my neighbor's property. My neighbor has all this on his security camera.. This was done by a drunk truck driver. He was driving in reverse. He came from the "public" parking lot, that our officials graciously rented to ONE bar, eliminating 11 public parking spats . I went to pay my last ticket at Municipal Hall.. Patiently I stood in line. I observed a little maroon vinyl basket by the cashier's window filled-up with paid parking tickets. I handled $10.00 and the ticket. To my surprise it was told me, that now the tickets are $20.00 !. I did not pay. After coming home I called the administration with a question , when did they double the parking tickets price and which regulation, ordinance law can prove this ? I was informed that this regulation went back to 2005. If I wanted I could check on www.generalcode.com . I should look for "Chapter 270". I started to giggle .... when I read the Ch. 270-1: " It shall be the duty of any person or persons, corporation, company, partnership or firm owning, controlling or leasing any apartment house, single family home, condominiums, factory, mercantile, establishment, store, shopping center, church, synagogue or other meeting places within the Municipality of Norristown to remove or cause to be removed, within 24 hours after snow has ceased to fall, any snow, ice or other obstruction from the surface of any common or public area owned, controlled or leased by them to include areas designated for the parking of motor vehicles." Ch.270-4. Violations and penalties. " Any person, firm or corporation violating #270-1 of this chapter shall be subject to the following procedure: A. The Municipal official shall issue a written ticket to the violator or occupier of the property which shall provide for penalty of $20.00. If the penalty is paid within seven days of its issue, then this discharges the violation. ( ?????) This penalty may be adjusted from time to time by resolution of Municipal Council. So - This is how I understand the Chapter 270-1 and 270-4: The $20.00 penalty is NOT for parking violation - it is for not cleaning the snow. West Marshall St. is Norristown's shopping district. |
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| Then - a miracle happen: the Norristown's plow truck arrived and the whole 500 block on the ACLAMO site was cleaned from snow ! |
| My husband walked to ACLAMO and asked for some information about this coming event. They were very nice and printed just for him a flyer in colors. After 12 noon the street was still with no parked cars . On my way to work (2:40pm) I observed a lot of bigger and smaller vehicles parked on the 500 block, offering free services to (???) who knows to whom. One of the cars was parked on reserved for the handicap spots. A police car was parked on the corner of George and W. Marshall St's. Nobody was ticketing !!! I gave - up searching the e-Code. There is nothing about minimum riquerd time to inform the community of any temporary street closing on a business day for private events. In the old Home Rule Charter it was a minimum of 72 hours. This ignorant administration directs people to an incompete e-Code. |
| For the last four or five weeks I have been reading the e-Code. I feel helpless, abused, harassed, belittled, ignored and disrespected. I have been charged different amounts of money for penalties that have no justification. The empoyees of our Municipality cannot give me a straight answer to simple quuestions. I don't make enough money to support my sloppy government. I will be before judge Lawrence on March 8th, 2011 at 11 am. Everyone is welcome to join me - I already have paid for this event. |
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| Last November I was watching Municipal Workers painting white and yellow lines all over our street. I like improvements in the town. It makes me imagine that our tax money is being used wisely. Then a letter arrived informing all where and how to park our cars. A two hour parking time limit should resolve all parking problems. Residents of West Marshall St. got different permits, which we stick (only) on the rear bumper. Whoever does not comply with the new regulations will be cited. And the circus started ... Each commercial block lost four parking spaces. Also one additional "handicapped" space per block (not always used ) got a new sign. Business owners and customers were completely disgusted, confused and angry. At the same time all available public parking was "rented" to a few. Through my front window I observed a police car parking for over two hours on "designated for shoppers" spot. The officer was walking up and down the street giving tickets. We started to lose business. Many people complained and a meeting with officials was scheduled. I took a day off from work to be able to express my opinion. A reporter from the local "Times Herald" was present. The Counsil Chamber room was almost packed. People tried to be civil. It was hard. The Norristown Manager, Chief of Police and the rest of our officials were satisfied with the great parking solutions. The merchants tried to say that we have plenty of parking, but only because nobody is stopping the cars here. WE ARE LOSING BUSINESS ! I did submit my statement, but it was ignored. We got even worse news - West Marshall St. will get parking meters ! Years ago we got them and they were so bad for our street that the Borough promised never put them back. We also learned that the "ticketing" is a alternative to a "official" tax raise. The next day's Times Herald front page big picture showed very happy elected officials and the working manager. One could assume that parking problem is resolved forever and everyone can happily live ever after. And then the snow days came. The cars were covered with snow, there was NO PARKING available. Merchants and residents were cleaning sidewalks, with hope that their local customers might walk to stores. Business was dead. The painted lines on the street were not visible, But a policemen arrived in all glory and with a ticket tablet in his hand. Even if I tried to move my car - there was no place to go ! So I watched him give me a ticket. ( See picture #1 and 2 ) I asked the policemen about a parking ordinance for "snow days". He could not answer me. He just was too busy to write all those tickets. I called the officials. I was directed to the PA State page. I checked the web-page. I learned everything about PA snow emergency roads, - but nothing about Norristown Municipality Snow Day Parking Regulations ! I checked the Norristown Municipality web-page. ( Dec.27th,2010 ). I rechecked again today - March 1, 2011 , two months later and still no change. The Norristown Municipality web-page shows: " We're building a new website to serve you better. Look for it to lanch in January 2011." We got news from our Councilman that for the Holiday Season there will be no ticketing. On January 27th signs were placed on the trees announcing "no parking on this side of the street" on Jan 28th and 29th. On the 28th everyone made sure not to park on the "marked" places. I went to shop for the house and later I parked my car on the "safe" site of the street. The businesses, including ours were dead. Nobody cleaned the street. Next day the signs disappeard. I got a ticket !!! This time I receiwed a ticket for extending beyond the "two hours parking permit". My receipt from the shopping trip proved me as being right. |
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| created for Coffee Talk by Alekandra Eigen - 2011 |
| The taxpayers are paying for services - like snow removal. The Norristown Municipality is responsible for cleanning our commercial streets. If not - the Municipality is violating #270-1. We have all the right to demand from our Municipality to clean our commercial streets from snow within 24 hours. By neglecting to do this The Norristown Municipality causes harm to our businesses and to our private lives and we have the right to enforce the #270-4 against the Norristown Municipality. No justification for $20.00 fine exceeding a two hour parking permit. No description or justification for $10.00 penalty either. Any changes to the Norristown Code MUST be available the public. If not - it looks to me like a violation of the "Sunshine Law". On February 9th I called Officer Rambo for information about the ordinance regulating penalties for parking over two hours on our street. He called me back today - February 11,2011. He could not answer me. He directed me to the administration. A few days ago the administration directed me to him. I also picked up ( Feb.11th ) a registered letter, an invitation to Francis J. Lawrence's office. This is about a ticket that I got on December 3th. The ticket was not justified and I passed it to Bill Caldwell - my councilman. He took the ticket and I thought he would take care of it. like he promised, but he forgot. I was charged with violating #305-25 - No parking hours indicated. Chain St . - both from a point 20 feet north of Haws Alley to Haws Alley ( tow-away zone) Chain St. - both from 30 feet south of Main St. to Main St. Chain St. - east from W. Airy St. to point 30 feet north of W.Airy St. Chain St. - west from W. Airy St. to a point 88 feet north of W. Airy St, (tow-away zone). NOTHING about the corner of W.Marshall and Chain St's. I read the #305 - 53 Parking for residents: " The hourly parking restrictions hereinbefore described shall not affect residents who have properly applied to Administration for parking permit. The issuance of parking permits to residents shall be within the discretion of the administration. " I DO HAVE A PERMIT I February 8, 2011 I visited Francis J. Lawrence's office , I pled not guilty. My hearing is on March 8th, 2011 at 11 am. It cost me $66.00. February 13, 2011 I returned from work after 11 pm. I parked my car on the 700 block of W.Marshall St. There was no parking closer to my house. Two police cars were parked close to the bar on the 400 block. I was wondering, why are they are not patrolling the alleys? Also - how many people are in this bar when four blocks are packed with cars ? Is there a fire hazard? What does it take for one business to be protected like this by the Municipality Police Department? February 22, 2011 A new blanket of snow covered us last night. After midnight a plow truck passed in the middle of the street. We cleaned the sidewalks in the morning. I discovered "No Parking" signs tied to the trees announcing the10 to 5 pm parking restriction for a "health fair'" , organized by ACLAMO. Non profit organization is closing the street for business on Tuesday ... Nobody was informed about this. They tow the last car on the block before 10 am. |