Posted on 04/25/2023 9:40:06 AM PDT by lightman
Allentown’s mayor accused the city parking authority of poor decision-making on Saturday when it issued parking tickets to folks in line for free groceries at a church food bank.
Parking Authority Chairman Ted Zeller acknowledged a parking enforcement officer issued nine tickets to folks Saturday who were queued up for food in their cars at Fuente de Vida Church at 729 St. John St.
The tickets were later reduced to warnings after the parking authority “understood what was going on,” Zeller said.
“The food drive blocked multiple streets and a local neighbor complained, so the officers acted in response,” Zeller said Monday.
Mayor Matt Tuerk sent a tweet on Monday in which he said he was “disappointed to see the poor decision making and discretion exercised by the Allentown Parking Authority this weekend.”
Zeller said the parking enforcement officers responded to complaints about blocked streets at an unannounced community event with no permit to close the street.
A video on the Fuente de Vida Church Facebook page shows the cars lined up for more than a block at the event. It shows a parking enforcement officer with a handheld device reviewing license plates of cars lined up to get food.
In a Spanish language video posted to Facebook, Church Pastor Alejandro Escamilla says people were outraged over the parking tickets, according to published reports. No one answered the phone at the church on Tuesday and the pastor didn’t immediately reply to an email seeking comment.
Zeller said community organizers should contact the city or the parking authority before hosting an event on the scale of the food giveaway.
“If you don’t, the APA will remain in the crosshairs of people complaining about streets being blocked and interfering with a community event,” Zeller said.
The mayor’s tweet calls on the parking authority to act at its meeting Wednesday “to improve the service provided to our residents.”
“If this continued abuse of power is not addressed .. I will be forced to use my powers as mayor to encourage responsible management of the Allentown Parking Authority,” Tuerk said in his tweet.
Published reports say city council approved a $10,000 study at the mayor’s request last month to review the parking authority operations and consider a possible city takeover of the authority.
Zeller said he respects the mayor’s concerns over parking.
“We continue to evaluate all issues that have been identified and will work to resolutions,” Zeller said, adding, “There is a lot work that needs to be done on all levels, starting with the APA and including the mayor’s office, city council and the community.”
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The really big news is that “a local neighbor complained, so the officers acted in response”
Wow.
Keep voting Democrat, you folks in the bread lines.
Check out the shiny new cars of people waiting in the food handout line. Privilege.
https://www.facebook.com/fuentedevidachurchpa/videos/613804266997436
He’s a Democrat so I’m sure he had nothing to do with this.
I guess they would have electric cars if the city would just pay their electric bills. I don’t have a car newer than any I saw in that line!
“folks in line for free groceries“
So folks getting free groceries are entitled to free parking as well? These “folks” undoubtedly already also receive free healthcare, free education, free police and fire protection…. But apparently they own cars (folksmobiles?) yet can’t be burdened with obeying the same parking laws that everyone else does.
Mayor: I was disappointed...that we got caught.
Money.
I wonder how many Mercedes and BMWs got tickets.
LOL…narrated in Spanish, no less!
Traffic was stopped during the investiagtion, which lasted hours.
SDPD was working the jam and ticketing people for using their phones, and seat belt/car seat violations.
Color me stupid but... I am not understanding why people are immune from local laws when they are at a food bank? Can’t we expect folks who are receiving a little charity to be a good citizen as we expect from everyone else? LOL, speeding on the way to the food bank OK?
“The food drive blocked multiple streets”
The PD did the right thing in handing out the tickets.
To me if you have a car being a food bank user should not be happening but my first idea was perhaps these people were donating food rather than taking but then there would be no need I assume to line up for that. Anyway this to me is a non story. Either the tickets will be waived or whatever and this will blow over.
Those cars look nicer than mine.
Rules is rules punk.
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