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GREENBURGH, N.Y. – Parking scofflaws beware: Greenburgh is cracking down on expired meters.
The Greenburgh Town Council voted unanimously Wednesday to raise parking fines and fees within the town and the Hartsdale Parking District, the first time fines have been raised more than a decade.
The increase came at the request of Stephanie Kavourias, executive director of the Hartsdale district, and Greenburgh Police Chief Joseph DeCarlo.
“It’s not so much about generating revenue,” DeCarlo said last month. “We just want people to park legally.”
With parking fines sitting at $15, and a town ordinance allowing violators who pay the fine within 48 hours to fork over just $7.50, Greenburgh parking fines were among the lowest in the area, the council said. Many motorists had also figured out it was cheaper to pay the fine rather than plug the meter, the board said at recent work sessions.
As a result, fines have been raised to $25 for expired meters and less serious parking violations.
Motorists parking too close to fire hydrants, crosswalks or driveways will be hit with a $50 fine and drivers with expired registration stickers will now fork over $75, a $10 to $15 increase from the previous standards.
Comments (2)
At a minimum Paul Feiner is being consistent and raising everything, not just certain fees. So sad to watch the erosion of a once great Town ...
Some things are just bound to go up. So I don't find it troubling to see that there are increases in this area as well and I think that the Executive Director Stephanie Kavourias and the District's Board are doing a great job in administering the system. But true to my nature I have one quibble, one caveat and one serious criticism to raise.
If parking at a fire hydrant is deemed deserving of a $50 fine, why is parking at a handicapped space
a twice greater greater threat to safety with a fine of $100 or as Chief DeCarlo states "We just want people to park legally". Call this the quibble but given that the Hartsdale Parking District's parking turf is basically the Hartsdale "downtown" and the apartment buildings along East Hartsdale Avenue, the number of businesses and residents at risk of fire is substantial and the teachings that I grew up with learning is that firemen need access to water. I do not mean to denigrate the need to provide parking for handicapped persons; merely I want to point out that if there is a basis for determining the level of the parking fine then at least those illegally parking at fire hydrants should be subject to as steep a sanction as parking in or blocking a handicapped space.
Regarding the caveat, if not to raise revenue as the Chief states, then residents need consider the total package which includes the fees to park at meters (by the cost to park together with the time period allotted in exchange for the fee) and the availability of coin dispensers for those foolish enough to leave home without exact change. Not so much a concern at the parking garages and lot but a hazard for those shopping in that a summons can be issued while the driver is seeking the required denominations of specie.
However the serious and inescapable charge is one that has nothing to do with the Parking District or the Police Department. It has to do with those "80,000" tickets which were unearthed at the Courts now still largely inert over two years since their discovery. Here again I hold Supervisor Feiner responsible for allowing the court problems to go unchecked and then for presuming their value to hold down taxes as near $4,000,000. Two court administrators later, a recent independent audit and oft sung praises for interns doing the bulk of the processing and no one knows how much revenue has been brought in from those aged tickets. More of the raising false hopes to hide the town's financial problems.
Thus, raising fines only becomes a legitimate enterprise if there is follow-thru to collect. Furthermore it must be discouraging to those who have written tickets dating back as far as 1989 to see their efforts at law enforcement blocked by a system that has let everyone down. Let's hope that the new roster of judges will be more exacting and mindful of their administrative responsibilities.
Finally, my comments here should not be regarded as a "gotcha" moment after the fact. Town Board watchers will note that I had attempted to speak at the Public Hearing on the Parking Fee increase but was prevented from doing so by a Town Supervisor and Town Council who "don't want nobody to bring them no bad news". Gee,"Wiz"!
Hal Samis