10/12/07 - Keepin Up With The Jones. Greenwich Rasises Parking Fees 10% In Order To Keep Up With Port Chester.

Train parking to get pricier

Source: Norwalk Advocate

The Board of Selectmen voted 2-1 yesterday to increase parking permit fees by 10 percent at train station and municipal lots throughout town.

The new rates would take effect next October at a total of 11 lots, and would generate approximately $147,000 in additional revenue each year for Greenwich's parking fund, according to figures provided by Alan Corry, the town parking services director. The increases will affect parking permits, not parking meters.

First Selectman Jim Lash said the increase will help replenish the parking fund for maintenance at structures, such as the Town Hall garage, which is undergoing more than $400,000 in construction now.

'My concern continues to be that we need money to spend on our parking facilities,' Lash said.
The changes will see annual fees at nine lots, including all outdoor railroad parking lots, increase from $242 to $266. Those include Arcadia Road, Carrona Drive, Horseneck Lane, Iron Horse Lane, Steamboat Road/Arch Street, Loughlin Avenue and Riverside, Old Greenwich and Cos Cob railroad stations. Rates at the covered parking garage downtown will rise from $423 to $465 per year, and at the West End lot in Old Greenwich from $165 to $181 per year.

Selectman Penny Monahan opposed the measure, saying Greenwich's parking permit rates are in line with those in towns such as Darien, Westport and Rye, N.Y. But Lash and Selectman Peter Crumbine said the rates are far lower than those in neighboring towns such as Stamford and Rye. In Stamford, annual parking permits can cost more than $1,000, outdoor parking permits cost $505 per year in Port Chester, according to Corry.

'I'm always reluctant to characterize other people's spending as moderate, but this (the new rates) wouldn't be out of line with the two adjacent towns,' Lash said.....

Source URL: http://www.norwalkadvocate.com/news/local/scn-gt-a1selectmenfridayoct12,0,786856.story

10/10/07 - Mayor Dennis Pilla And The Port Chester Trustees Add A Third Board Meeting

HEADLINE:

10/09/07 – Meeting Notes – Port Chester Board Of Trustee Meetings.

Quote Of The Day:

“When it comes to parking you happen to understand the village Is actually a small city”

Captain John Telesca

STORY:

The new additional Board of Trustee’s Meeting got off to a very rough start.

There was a mix-up over where the meeting was being held.

No Government Cable Channel Coverage

No Agendas for the public

No press kit

Police Chief and staff were not given all the information for the parking discussion.

Worse yet the public were not allowed to participate or comment on the meeting.

Deputy Mayor Dominick Cicatelli was unable to attend the meeting even though he was out of town.

The Board discussed the

G&S Parking Proposal

Permit parking

Valet parking

Leberge Group Parking proposal

New parking laws

The Columbus Park Project – surveillance cameras

And 120,000 and 50,000 in additional funds for construction inspections and rocks.

Personally, I started to get a little bored durring the long discussion about if Port Chester would partisipate in a regional storm water utility district. I was tempted to touch Richhard "The Rye Town Drama Queen" Abel on the sholder to see if he would act like a girly man and run up and disrupt the meeting.

However, I decided not to upset Richard "The Rye Town Drama Queen" Abel, because Mayor Dennis Pilla hates it when people act crazy at his board meetings.

08/10/07 - Let's Really Get Serious About Fines. We Should Start Giving Huge Tickets To Cusamano, Didden and Gianfrancesco.

THE TRUE BLUE

CONSERVATIVE REVIEW

HEADLINE:

TELL MAYOR THAT IT IS TIME TO START USING FINES TO COVER THE COSTS OF HAVING CUSAMANO, DIDDEN AND GIANFRANCESCO INVOLVED IN PORT CHESTER GOVERNMENT.

STORY:

Soon the residents of Port Chester will hopefully get the oportunity to speak at a public hearing about increasing and adding new fines in the village of Port Chester.

The village staff and the Mayor are correct when they say parking fines have not been updated often enough. It is an excelent idea to try and have the fines at least cover the cost of enforcement.

Most of the fines will go up about $5.00 a ticket.

There is also talk of a much more increasing downtown parking meters by 25 cents. This is a 50% increase over the current 50 price.

These minor changes are fiscally responsible and should help the village balance its budget.

But why should the Village stop at Parking meters.

Let's recoup all of our lost costs.

Maybe we could fine Port Chester Building Inspector Lenny Cusamano $250 for each week that he fails to shut down an illegal apartment in Port Chester.

Or, maybe we could fine Port Chester Planning Board Member Bart Didden $500 a day for everyday he occupies his Main Street offices without a certificate of occupancy.

Or better yet, maybe we could fine Port Chester Developement Consultant Gary Gianfranseco $5,000 everytime he files a change order on that bottemless money pit known as Horton School.

God Knows, Gary can easily afford it, because he has already stuffed over a million of your tax dollars in his pockets while being involved on this project.