Deutsch Resolves Parking Ticket Tangle
City Councilman Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Homecrest) announced yesterday that the City will be dismissing wrongfully issued parking tickets on days that alternate side parking rules were suspended.
When alternate side parking rules are in effect, muni-meters are programmed to reject payment during the applicable time frame. However, when these regulations are suspended, the meters cannot be remotely re-programmed to allow payment, leaving motorists unable to purchase a muni-meter receipt despite being legally allowed to park on that particular street.
These contrary policies of the Department of Sanitation, NYPD Traffic Department, and Department of Transportation (DOT) leave drivers subject to traffic violations. From January 2 to January 18, alternate side parking has been suspended eleven times, providing ample opportunities for wrongful summonses to be issued throughout the city.
Deutsch worked with the DOT, the Mayor’s Office, and the NYPD Legislative Affairs to secure a commitment to have the violations dismissed, and to determine methods to prevent this issue in the future. Additionally, the NYPD will institute a policy wherein they advise traffic agents not to issue violations under these circumstances, on a precinct-by-precinct basis, each time there is a suspension of alternate side regulations.
“When I brought this issue to their attention, the City agencies involved responded swiftly in agreeing to dismiss the violations. I’m glad that I was able to secure this resolution, and I hope this will resolve the matter once and for all. I urge anyone who received a summons under these criteria to contact my office, and we can assist in having it dismissed,” said Deutsch.
Residents that have received a parking violation during an alternate side suspension for non-payment of the muni-meter in a location where meters are pre-programmed to not accept payment during alternate side regulations, please contact Deutsch’s office at 718-368-9176 orCDeutsch@council.nyc.gov.
Cornegy Holds Court Education For Seniors
City Council Member Robert Cornegy Jr. (D-Bedford-Stuyvesant, Northern Crown Heights) today will hold a court education for seniors training session.
Fidel F. Del Valle, Commissioner and Chief Administrative Law Judge of New York City’s Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) will join Cornegy for the training session.
“As the City’s central independent administrative law court, OATH’s top priority is to make it as easy as possible for those who have been issued summonses from City enforcement agencies to have their day in court,” said Del Valle. “OATH recognizes that there are many reason why it may be difficult to attend a hearing in person so we have worked diligently to make it possible for recipients of the most commonly issued summonses to fight those summonses remotely by using OATH’s Hearings Online, Hearings by Mail, Hearings by Phone or Video (webcam) Hearings. Through our CourtESy program, OATH is working to make sure that the City’s senior residents know about these convenient hearing methods and how to utilize them effectively.”
Cornegy said the CourtESy Program educates seniors about ways to handle summons from City enforcement agencies without having to travel to attend a hearing in person.
“In District 36, we’ve made a real commitment to trying to better serve our seniors. Helping to spread information about OATH’s CourtESy Program is a natural extension of commitment. I applaud Commissioner DelValle and OATH for launching this innovative program and investing the time to get word out that OATH offers such a useful resource for our seniors,” said Cornegy.
The session is slated for between 10 a.m. and 12 noon, today, Jan. 26 at Bed-Stuy Restoration Plaza, 1368 Fulton Street, 5th Floor in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Maisel, Persaud Celebrate Mill Basin Library Reopening
City Council Member Alan Maisel (D-Canarsie, Flatlands, Mill Basin) and State Sen. Roxanne Persaud (D-Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Sheepshead Bay, Bergen Beach, Marine Park, Flatlands, Mill Island, Georgetowne, Ocean Hill) will be on hand as the Brooklyn Public Library celebrates the reopening of their Mill Basin Library Branch on Monday.
Mill Basin Library is in the Canarsie-Flatlands section of Brooklyn, serving a diverse neighborhood. The branch closed in late 2016 to replace the HVAC system and to make interior improvements, including new paint, furniture, signage and lighting.
A ceremony celebrating the re-opening will include young students from PS 236 who will present thank you notes to the librarians.
The event is slated for 10:30 a.m., Monday, Jan. 29 at the Mill Basin Library, 2385 Ralph Avenue in Mill Basin.
