City Won’t Tow Anymore For Street Sweeping

I guess Elicker won't be getting a Christmas cash bonus anytime soon!

Awesome to have an administration who clearly will not engage in pay-to-play politics.

Yay! But... Please pay attention to the posted signs and move your whip to the other side of the street. If only there was a way to make those that don't clear the paths for the DPW responsible for sweeping out the still-dirty portion of the street.

This is the type of common sense policies I was expecting when I voted for Elicker. Fantastic decision!
Kudos to the Mayor.

Finally! I wish this had happened while I still lived in New Haven. I really hope they step up their notification system, though, and actually provide helpful information. I only got alerts sometimes, and often not until late in the evening the night before. The main issue was never knowing what side of the street you can't park on unless you look at the paper signs. Having to rely on paper signs on poles really isn't very efficient, especially if it rains or people pull them down. Parking wasn't allowed on my street, so I had to park on a different one, so I wasn't as aware of the signs, as I'd have to make a special trip over there to see them.

But I'm happy that there is no towing. One time I got towed, the truck damaged my car and caused about $1,000 to fix, but I couldn't prove the truck did it... but why would I suddenly have a system failure immediately after picking up my car from them?

Maybe Elicker should have had the same sensibilities for taxpayers before he voted to give the school busing company $7.3 million for NOT transporting kids, or regularly approving hiring $220,000 + administrators at the central office, or approving $200,000 legal contracts to his favorite campaign donors. Not a pay-for-play administration? I see it differently, and so should other taxpayers.

@Darnell: "regularly approving hiring $220,000 + administrators at the central office, or approving $200,000 legal contracts to his favorite campaign donors." A bit hyperbolic, Darnell?

Mario, not at all. In fact, I'll post links to the documentation before the night is over.

We have permanent signs that are posted saying what days of the week and times between April and October cars should NOT park on which sides of the street. Some of our citizens have complained that their cars were actually towed when they did not adhere to the law. How many times did their cars get towed ... how many times did they violate the law? Maybe it's not the law that's the problem ... We have now reduced the fine amount AND will NOT tow their cars when they do not adhere to the law. Now, for the month of August a car owner can totally ignore the law with no consequence ... just a piece of paper with a warning. If the violators did not heed a ticket & tow what is the reasoning behind thinking they will heed a warning? But then in September if one does not adhere, they will get a $100 ticket ... to maybe pay later, and I say maybe because people who do not adhere to the law often do not pay the fines for not adhering. At least when the vehicle was towed the fine had to be paid in order for the vehicle to be released. Now people rack up tickets until ... when? When does the vehicle NOW get towed for unpaid tickets ... the the amount adds up to $200-$300? And in the meantime the neighborhoods suffer because the streets do not get clean. I am a taxpayer who obeys the law. How does this save me money? It cost the city the same amount of money if not MORE to run the street cleaner down the street going around parked cars instead of down a straight line!!! Changing the law because some don't want to read the posted signs and move their car to have their street cleaned is stupid. But if it's gonna save me - a taxpaying resident homeowner who likes her neighborhood streets clean to the point where I sweep both sides of the block regularly ... if it's gonna save me money, let me know how much because I know I will have to buy a bigger broom!

Why have any rules at all? Why sweep? Why do anything? Why pay taxes? Why go to work?

@Darnell maybe if the city didn't lay the bus company or 400,000 plus in hirings the teachers wouldn't be facing a pay freeze to go back to work next year during a pandemic.

@darnell

So, let's see what has happened here. Most people are now home either unemployed or work-from-home. That means all those cars that would normally be in a business parking lot during the day are now parked back at home. To which side of the street should I move my car when there's no parking left at all?

Thanks for the tax hike aimed only at those unfortunate enough to not have a driveway.

Finally, some common sense from our city gov't. Best part is stiffing the towing companies owned by out-of-town bullies. Not reported here is that under the former tow policy, only SOME neighborhoods were subjected to towing. Edgewood was a tow zone. Westville was not. Less fortunate neighborhoods took a bigger hit.

The next step for the City should be to create an app so residents can opt in to receive text alerts regarding sweeping dates and times.

Dennis

An app for notifying residents when and where to move their car for street sweeping and plowing would be a very sensible idea.
Thank you Dennis Serf for that idea!

Westville didn't need to be a tow zone because they had sufficient off street parking to move cars off the street. There are severe differences in density between neighborhoods. The lack of driveways or off street parking in dense neighborhoods where our less affluent citizenry may reside (like mine!) was not a design to subject a class of people to more towing!

The City provides an option for residents to get alerts regarding sweeping ... you can opt/in for the robo-calls.

Where is there a tax hike aimed only at those who don't have driveways?

If cars are not towed for street sweeping Then the neighborhoods do not have their streets cleaned, storm drains will continue to be clogged, trash & oils will still end up in waterways and pollute the environment. Offenders will rack up unpaid fines, the city owned vehicle that roams the neighborhoods looking for vehicles with unpaid fines and then what ... the vehicle gets towed ... and the offender finds their car gone, spends much of the day tracking down their car, pays tickets, towing, and storage. And the street is still not clean for those who pay for this service in their property tax and who move their cars. WE who comply still lose ... all the more.

And if you don't have a driveway, promote community building by asking your neighbor if you can park in their driveway during the no parking time? What do you have to lose - not you car- and a neighbor to gain!

It's not that hard and does not require a policy change. Actually - the city just bumped out the tow companies and doubled the fines they stand to collect from taxpayers!!!

City has a place where you can sign up to receive alerts, and its specific to locations/neighborhoods! I signed up. It took me 3 minutes.

Notification Reminders
If you are already receiving emergency notifications from the City, you will receive a monthly reminder to move your car or be ticketed and towed each time your Tag and Tow route is scheduled to be swept. If you are not opted in to the Emergency Notification System, you can do so here..

https://www.newhavenct.gov/gov/depts/emergency_info/alerts.htm

Also, received the Alert below from DPW today.
______
DPW Alert - Street Sweeping Changes To Begin August 1

Dear Residents,

Many of you have called us over the past few weeks with questions about street sweeping. Although you have spotted us in your neighborhood, you have wondered when operations would return to "normal" We are very aware that you value this service and rely on street sweeping operations to help remove litter and dirt from your street.

Beginning August 1, street sweeping as residents have known it will change. All 15 routes will be "ticketed" and "towing" will cease to exist. The month of August will be a "grace period"with only warnings given to violators of the No Parking postings throughout all street sweeping routes.

We encourage residents to download our Street Sweeping seasonal schedule, sign-up for Notifications(New Haven Alerts) and follow the paper/metal postings in your neighborhood. If you follow this link you can check out all options available- schedule, notification sign-up and routes here: https://www.newhavenct.gov/gov/depts/pw/street_sweeping.htm

And, as always, if you have any questions please give us a call at Public Works (203) 946 - 7700.

Take Care,

Your Public Works

Thank you Mr. Mayor! Long overdue!

The City of Cambridge sends a police car down each street at 7am blaring a message reminding residents that their street will cleaned that day and to move their car. New Haven should consider adopting this alert system as well.

A text alert or email app as suggested by Dennis Serf is also an excellent idea. The City's phone notification system is largely obsolete.

This is fantastic news. I have always thought that the street sweeping towing list and rotation was one of the dirtiest aspects of New Haven- shoveling the public's cash into towing company coffers for no real gain to the city, except a few extra square feet of cleaner street.

Balancing the need for car removal, and having the city get the fine is a fantastic idea. The extra bonus for me is that some these ethically corrupt companies lose their precious cash cow.

And to take a small victory lap- this is my comment from earlier this year:
posted by: Pedro Soto on February 17, 2020 11:30pm

While towing vehicles is a necessary service, if there were an industry ripe for reform, this would be it.
That towing list should be the first thing to go. It actually might make more sense to go back to municipal towing, although if there were a lack of funding, some other model needs to be tried.

@LuckyEscapee - I wasn't suggesting that this move was wrong, though all he has done was to replace the two companies with the city by doubling the fine (which will eventually go to his campaign donors - see below)

@Marko, here you go, sorry it took so long but I've been fairly busy. These are only a small exam some of the out of control spending going on at the BOE. I haven't even added the stuff at City Hall, like the same legal forms getting even larger contracts with Corp Counsel or the special retirement deals given to choice employees, on the millions of dollars.

Hired Supervisor of Professional Learning at $140,281 (total $186,574 w/added benefits)

Director of Transportation at $118,000 ($156,940 w/added benefits, quit after 2 weeks)

Increased funding to Berchem, Moses & Devlin, PC, from $80,000.00 to $120,000.00

Increased funding to plumber Tri State LLC, from $100,000.00 $115,000.00 for plumbing repairs beyond the scope of in-house staff. (despite a reduction in use of the building by at least 98%)

Increased funding to All American Waste from $26,500.00 to $35,200.00 for trash removal for New Haven Academy, Dr. Mayo Early Childhood School and ESUMS (3 of our 40 schools, despite a reduction in use of the building by at least 98%)

Increased funding to attorneys Shipman & Goodwin, from $50,000.00 to $70,000.00

Hired another assistant superintendent at $165,000 ($219,450 w/added benefits, despite the fact that the person hired had quit 8 months earlier after only serving 10 months previously)

Paid First Student bus company $7.3 million of an $8.8 million 4 month contract (despite the fact students were not transported for 3.5 of the 4 months)

Hired an Assistant Principal for $124,409 ($165,464 w/added benefits) from outside the district with very limited supervisory experience (despite the availability of many in house candidates)

Another Agreement with Berchem Moses PC for $80,000.00.

Another Agreement with Shipman & Goodwin LLP for $70,000.00.

R

Dear Darnell-- no one of the public can make heads or tails of the NHBOE budget or the city budget. This is why they get away with what they do. I wish there was a CITIZEN SCHOOL on HOW TO READ A MUNICIPAL BUDGET OR BOE BUDGET> Thank you for showing us the shehosing we get every day. Paying to clean buildings no one is in. Toilet paper (at last) when no one is using toilets.
What are we paying for????

I remember a time when upon the first sweeping every year they would tow your car to the opposite side of the street and you got a ticket. Elicker should do this at least twice a year as a practice. I can envision how dirty east rock will become as most students leave their cars out for months (as evidenced in winter when you can see the snow). the only good part is you won't have to worry about a tow truck speeding through a red light or stop sign on street sweeping day as they always do. Tonys and Crown are notorious for this and the cops just watch and do nothing, even upon complaint. Go Elicker !!! We can make up the loss on that from the hotel room savings that Harp used to run up.