Quoting the Tribune's news story, B.W. Smith wrote:
"City Attorney Shane Gibson does know about it, but said the standing (adult entertainment) ordinance would likely fail in court if the city attempts to enforce it …"An excellent question, and promptly followed by an even better one from na girl:
The City doesn't attempt to enforce anything, so why even go through the academic exercise of evaluating the ordinance?
Does anyone know of any city ordinance that is actually enforced?Indeed. There's bound to be at least one, right? Can you think of any?
The reader identifying the most enforced ordinances gets to remain in New Albany for another year.
Second place: That's two years, of course.
Parking fines for blocking the street sweeper April through October, when a second city car follows the sweeper truck to write the citations, which there is no city court to enforce the parking fines, and hundreds of thousands of dollars of owed parking violations sit idle uncollected!
ReplyDeleteParking ticket in the garage downtown. Jury duty. Don't know if it would have been enforced as I paid it.
ReplyDeleteI've never wanted to NOT win a contest this bad, but I'm going to have to say - collection of property taxes.
ReplyDeleteI think they did enforce a zoning code violation all the way to the Indiana Supreme Court recently...WON the case, and then promptly caved to the property owner.
ReplyDeleteAt some point, even the good ole' boys have to get embarassed about this city, no?
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ReplyDeleteCorrection - the city didn't initiate the zoning-related action, but had to defend after a variance request and certificate of occupancy was denied.
ReplyDeleteSo...make that ZERO enforcement actions. Way to go, boys.
It will certainly be interesting to hear the Mayor's soon-to-be-announced code enforcement plan, whether it's a legitimate step forward or a half-baked, CYA scheme. The Council's response will be telling, as well.
ReplyDeleteFor the sake of the community, I hope they realize how much is riding on it, not just in direct legal outcomes but in terms of building or destroying trust.
It has potential to be the most important decision this iteration of city government makes.
Bluegill,
ReplyDeleteThe mayor told me yesterday due to back rehab, he won't be back until Jan. 5. I know Carl said at the last meeting the mayor hoped to lay out the plan Dec. 18, but that doesn't look likely now.
Taxes
ReplyDeleteDying
Sewage bills
Speeding
Drinking bad beer
Eating fast food or buffet
Thanks for the update, Daniel.
ReplyDeleteWhether it's this month or next, the plan will be vitally important.
I hope that I am wrong but believe that the "gentleman's" club already tells us what we need to know about what the next 3 years will be.
ReplyDeleteHoosier,
ReplyDeleteI am afraid you are right...
christopherD, you are not exactly correct about the parking violations sitting idle uncollected. My office has worked very hard on collecting parking tickets and we finally have a system in place that works. This past year we have collected over $100,000 and we are still working every day to collect more. Also, a list of names of violators who have received 3 collection notices and not paid have been sent to Shane and are being prepared to be sent to court. You do not need a City Court to enforce these fines. State statute sets it up so that the County Court will hear these violations if there is not a city court in place. So, this can be taken off of your list of unenforced city ordinances.
ReplyDeleteMarcey, I'm glad to hear you're collecting parking ticket revenue. I however feel parking, or more precisely, competition for and abuse of rules relating to parking is kind of a none issue. It's embarassing to think people (or that one guy who writes parking tickets) put effort, albeit a minimum, into parking tickets when half the buildings are crumbling the cars are sitting in front of! Prioritize enforcement?
ReplyDeleteMarcey,
ReplyDeleteGREAT NEWS!! Then so be it and it is removed from the list!
Just an observation, brought to the attention of my wife...
ReplyDeleteWe talk about the city getting things right for once, here is an example of what we are up against...
Next time you are downtown, driving on market street, as you pass Pearl Street, look north Toward Kaisers and such,, and you will notice one of our new city directory signs, facing the wrong way on pearl street. Unless you are driving the wrong way on Pearl from main, it is completely useless!!!
Chris,
ReplyDeleteAs was explained when the sign was placed just before Harvest Homecoming, it's just an example of what will be produced as part of a much larger signage system. It's not "one of our new city directory signs". It's a quick prototype for display purposes only.
A lot of what we are up against are quick judgments based on incomplete information and misunderstandings.
The sign is a prototype, but you have to admit that the way it is currently being displayed could be very confusing for someone unfamiliar with the proposed sign program.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised they've left it up, Marcey.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the sign's aimed at a direction from which no one should be driving and, for anyone at all familiar with downtown, obviously points in directions that don't match up with the list of destinations printed on it.
It might lead to reasonable questions and/or some confusion. Those expressions, though, are different than declaring that the city doesn't know how to install signs.
We have Eighteenht Street for that.
Gina: I completely understand your frustration with the lack of enforcement of the building code ordinances. However, the traffic division and I would be completely remiss in our duties if we had the attitude that we shouldn't enforce parking because the building commission isn't doing their part.
ReplyDeleteBluegill: My favorite sign is the one on Castlewood that says "No Thur. truck Traffic". I hope Roger doesn't try to cut through there this winter in his truck on a Thursday. ;o)
touche Marcey!
ReplyDelete"A lot of what we are up against are quick judgments based on incomplete information and misunderstandings."
ReplyDeleteJust made an observation, nothing more, nothing less