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East Greenville Council Eyes Parking Limits for Municipal Lot

Written by Jennifer Butler Kirkwood, Correspondent
2012-01-26

“Bounced” checks for trash bags spark new policy

On Tuesday night, East Greenville Borough Council discussed options to restrict parking in the municipal lot, located behind Borough Hall on Main Street.

The intended use of the lot, installed with grant funds from Montgomery County, has been to provide customers of East Greenville businesses safe off-street parking. Council has previously discussed options to prevent residents from using many of the allotted parking spaces for extended periods of time.

“Right now, there is nothing saying they can’t park there,” Councilman Jim Young commented.

Council agreed to discuss the matter further next month. Options which will be considered include four hour time limits and/or specifying no overnight parking.

Mayor Ryan Sloyer requested that, in the interim, Borough Manager Jim Fry have discretion to close the lot in advance of heavy snowfall to ensure plows can clear the lot easily. Council passed a motion to immediately allow closure of the lot with advance notice for weather emergencies.

In other business, council also unanimously voted to restrict the acceptance of checks for borough trash bag purchases to Borough Hall. The decision was made after several checks bounced that were used to purchase borough trash bags at the EZ Shoppe in East Greenville.

Before making the motion to restrict checks, Councilman Tim Huff commented that he frequently writes checks for bag purchases and would himself be inconvenienced if checks are only accepted at Borough Hall.

“If I don’t have cash on me, I like to write a check,” Huff commented, adding “but people are abusing it.”

In solicitor business, council voted to advertise ordinance 2012-01, which would allow the borough tax collector to seek recovery of fees for tax certifications and pleadings, as well as bank fees for bounced checks.

During the public comment period, representatives from the Upper Perkiomen Valley Ambulance capital campaign presented drawings of the new ambulance facility on East Buck Road in Upper Hanover Township, as well as an update on the project. Frank McCauley, President of the Ambulance Association, requested that council consider them during future budget considerations.

Council President Josiah Pierson suggested they come before council again in the fall, when 2013 budget considerations begin.

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