Woodstock Early Birds, the Village Trustees were asked to get tougher with we chronic parking reprobates who had a series of outstanding parking tickets. They offered a pay-back “amnesty” at 50%. that lasted 60 days. Pay up and they would take 50% off. Sounded reasonable and generous. Woodstock Early Bird took advantage of the pay-back “dealio.” Love a good “dealio”!
We hear from Municipal Manager Phil Swanson that close to $5000 in outstanding fines came in as a result of the quasi-amnesty. Not bad. Nicely done! But that was only about 35 people out of more than 100 who have an outstanding bill.
But NOW: For the close to 70 people who still owe money to the Village: It’s TOW TIME!
Yes, Birds, if for some reason, a local law enforcement official/meter maid/meter guy finds reason to be giving you ANOTHER PARKING TICKET, they will first pull out the OFFICIAL LIST OF PARKING REPROBATES and see if you/we are on it?
And then….BUH-BYE.
Away goes your vehicle to some secret pain-in-the-butt place that will give you a major headache to get back. We note it will be nothing like Washington where Woodstock Early Bird has had some experience trying to reclaim her vehicle from the traffic courts and scary back-waters of the District of Columbia. We have a bit of a traumatic disorder from said reclamation. But, still, even in Woodstock, we suspect TOW TIME will always be HEADACHE TIME!
You are now duly warned. Village wants it money. (Maybe we can use those returned funds to pay for Village hanging flower baskets? Yuck, yuck, yuck. Woodstock Early Bird joke.)
Also, out of Village Trustees meeting Tuesday….
Our new re-written expansion of Village noise ordinances is official. Everyone can now have their bands play until 11pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Party on, people. (Heads-up that tents are in place this weekend at The Woodstock Inn).
Need extra sleep? You get one hour on Sunday morning now before your neighbor’s leaf-blowers and other assorted lawn equipment start revving up at 8am. Enjoy!
P.S. We observed a local business “sweeping their sidewalk” this morning — Yes, quite legally after 7am — But not quite Joni Mitchell’s “Morning Morgantown” what with the industrial strength leaf blower. No leaves that we could see anywhere, but we sure heard it from three blocks away as well as saw clouds of dust in the distance in the pretty early morning sun. Lovely way to greet the day!
Here’s some info though about the new noise ordinances — which have gone through almost a year of discussion — with plenty of public input. The Village Trustees decision can be appealed in this way:
Citizens of the Village of Woodstock have the right to petition the Village board of trustees to reconsider the adoption of this ordinance at a Special Village meeting provided that such petition is presented to either the Village Trustees or the Village Clerk not later than July 26, 2013.
Julia Carlisle
Woodstock Early Bird 