GARWOOD — In a meeting held last Thursday, Councilwoman Kimberly Salmon expressed concern about the recently-passed ordinance which requires residents to obtain new parking stickers in order to park in certain areas of the community.
Councilwoman Salmon stated that she spoke to residents of Willow and Myrtle Avenues regarding a survey given out. The residents she spoke with claimed that they never received the survey. Councilwoman Salmon even offered to hand out surveys again to see if the council made the right decision.
Mayor Jen Blumenstock stated that the survey also was available online, and that the overwhelming response from the residents on those blocks was in favor of the ordinance. Borough Administrator Kyle Harris suggested an electronic permit be brought up to the finance department, where the parking enforcer can read each license plate and get a green- or red-light scan that the car is registered; however, this solution comes down to funding.
Councilwoman Rachel Herz suggested that officials still go ahead with re-doing the survey, but Mayor Blumenstock stated that this issue involved more than just resident surveys, as multiple meetings had been held with residents to hear their concerns on the matter.
“I think we really have discussed and exhausted this decision, and we all voted for it,” she said. “If we find it’s not working over the course of the next year and we need to adjust, we’ll adjust.”
Council President Russell Graham also spoke regarding the concerns of resident stickers. “The problem was identified, and we answered the residents’ concerns through the ordinance that we passed, and the solution was to have stickers to identify these cars so you don’t get nuisance tickets,” he said. “A lot of people came here and said that they were experiencing the same issue. The point is, people like a solution that allows them to park in front of their home.”
The council moved on from the topic but will revisit the issue if further concerns from residents are brought up regarding ordinance 23-24.
