February 20, 2008
Ordinance panel decisions
I'll have more on some of this in the coming days, but here's a quick update on what the city's Ordinance Committee decided at tonight's meeting:
1. To recommend the City Council approve a new law that would bar child sex offenders from city parks and schools.
2. To urge the City Council to set a hearing date next month for a proposal that would combine the Blight and Code Enforcement committees.
3. To support a new law that would make it possible to offer retirees in the city's main retirement fund a one-time cost-of-living adjustment. This still needs City Council approval and the numbers have yet to be chosen.
4. To back Mayor Art Ward's call to shift the starting time for regular City Council sessions to 7 p.m., a half hour earlier than they currently begin.
5. To suggest that city councilors enact a new law that would crack down on shopping carts taken from store property.
6. To delay action on a proposal to regulate newspaper boxes for at least another month to consider possible changes to the statute wording.
I plan to put copies of the relevant proposals online here sometime soon. And I'll explain more about the decisions, too, when there's time to write up what happened.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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33 comments:
Bristol leaders have an opportunity before them to set an example for the state and nation to follow .
Everyone is quite aware that many unsuccessful/useless laws have been passed in the past .
Bristol could lead the nation by instituting a policy that NO NEW law be passed without the REMOVAL of a law already on the books .
LAW MORATORIUM (sp)!!!!!
"To back Mayor Art Ward's call to shift the starting time for regular City Council sessions to 7 p.m., a half hour earlier than they currently begin"
- In order to make it to Jakes and Sporty's before closing?
"theft of Shopping carts"
- This is sure to make Bristol a better place to live and work (espcially for Shaws, Price Chopper and Stop & Shop managers).
...Wow 4:17: Thank you so much for sharing your "insightful" comments with us. I do hope you didn't strain yourself coming up with what I'm sure you consider "witty sarcasm."
Unfortunately, your feeble attempt at humor falls short of its mark and instead you come across as just another angry, pathetic little person taking haphazard potshots at our city officials from behind the safety of your keyboard...very pathetic indeed.
.....4:17pm, mommy dearest just called, don't come home - they have replaced you with a rock, smart of them.
Earlier starting time means meetings can go longer wwitout paying OT to custodial staff.
February 21, 2008 5:04 PM: It's almost closing time!
February 21, 2008 5:04 PM:
My-my, a little sensitive aren't we?
1)It's good to frequent local restaurants.
2) I was attacked by a stray shopping cart the other day. It was terrible!
-Seriously there's a law against taking property from a business. It's called larceny. What's wrong with that charge?
-and there's DUI too (for that type of criminal activity).
The Council fiddles while Bristol burns.
February 21, 2008 5:04 PM:
Since the I'm so pathetic and the comments obviously don't bother you, I'll keep posting likewise.
Thanks.
February 21, 2008 5:04 PM:
No actually these new "ordinances" are pretty pathetic. I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd agree with that statement, sorry.
So are your nasty letters, your nasty politics and your nasty supporters...sir.
10:34 Poster:
Why don't you start by suggesting a specific ordinance to rescind, by its section #? Not a generic rant about how we have too many laws in this country - a specific one. Hmmm?
-Seriously there's a law against taking property from a business. It's called larceny. What's wrong with that charge?
No, there isn't, not until the City Council passes this law. "Larceny"? First of all the shopping cart owner is not going to press charges - if they cared about stolen carts they would do something to prevent it, and second, who would they press charges against? The carts are left by the side of the road. If you took half the time you spend criticizing the efforts of others who are trying to make Bristol a better place, and spend it coming up with solutions to Bristol's problems, this town would be a better place.
PS: By all means, take pride in being pathetic. You've worked hard at earning that badge - wear it with honor!
February 21, 2008 11:16 PM:
OK keep calling names. That gets you far.
Who then is violating this ordinance, the stores or the "users"?
Why can't an officer apprehend someone for taking something they know isn't there's (without a new ordinance)?
You know unlike you, I have a life, I work hard. I find you and your little friends annoying and unqualified (I belive I'm qualified to make that judgement). But life's a b____. Too bad you can't take criticism from your constituents.
The Council fiddles while Bristol burns.
February 21, 2008 9:32 PM
--I like this post (not mine)
No, pathetic is the electorate and the electees.
Let's look at the facts. This is all about $80 grand a year (without a college degree) and/or being selected as a corporation council, being a board member or obtaining a sweet janitorial job at the Hospital right? It has little to do with being pro-active.
Go finish your beer before the bar closes.
I've had enough of your rubbish.
..."Why can't an officer apprehend someone for taking something that isn't THEIR'S (not THERE'S oh intelligent one)"...because the store allows them to take the carts off the premises. The store doesn't care where the carts wind up. The store is still making a fortune. Time to make the store responsible for the carts. Is that simple enough for you oh intelligent one?
And by the way, although I'm flattered you think so...I'm definitely not the mayor, however I do find your PATHETIC cheap shots at him extremely PATHETIC...please do go finish your beer...
...11:30: I "belive" you're a little confused. You "belive" I can't take criticism from my constituents? I "belive" that's probably because I'm just an average citizen who doesn't have any constituents, and I don't "belive" you're qualified to make sense nevermind "make judgment"...life is indeed a b____.
As a new shopping cart costs $300-400 we do not like our customers to take them. However it is not practical to have an employee dedicated solely to shopping cart enforcement detail. A confrontation would likely occur and a call to the Police would surely be needed the first time we try to stop someone taking a cart full of groceries out of the parking lot. We do send people out to recover the stolen carts but we can't find all of them.
If the city wants we can call the Police every time someone tries to remove a cart I'm sure the cops can put the bank robbery on hold. Bottom line It's larceny to take a cart don't make the stores pay.
...Why don't the stores come up with some sort of "sign out" policy, maybe take a shopper's license and hold it until the cart is returned? Perhaps some sort of barrier around the parking area or designated pick-up area, or equip the carts with some sort of alarm or disabling device. I'm sure if the stores really cared about their precious carts, they would do something to prevent them from going AWOL. The truth is that the loss of a few carts to the mega chain stores doesn't even register a blip on their bottom line. It's about time somebody held them accountable. I applaud the city council for stepping up to the plate!
To Moratorium. Does that include three srtikes and you're out ? That's another example of the R's only thinking they should have a law for something.
"Time to make the store responsible for the carts. Is that simple enough for you ?"
-How does this force the stores to pick up the carts? Instead of just picking up at their leisure, they will have to pay $50 as well.
-Whatever, I hope it works. This is just for conversation purposes anyway. I don't see why all you insecure losers can't handle a little critique.
-I'm very happy you aren't the mayor, because I like him and I'd be very disappointed if he acted like a loser such as you.
-BTW the mayor isn't the only one who goes to bars on occasion. What makes you think that every remark about a drink, a beer or a bar is directed at him? You're not too respectful to hizzonner.
...3:20 a.k.a. oh intelligent one: What makes me think that "every remark about a drink, a beer or a bar" is directed at the mayor? Gee, I guess it's because that seems to be the best cheap shot most of you losers go for...BTW I'm also happy that I'm not the mayor because I'm not sure I could deal with the irrational bull---t that I'm sure the poor guy has to deal with on a daily basis...he's got a lot more class and stamina that I do...
that's why the mayor gets paid $100,000 each year, to deal with this stuff, good and bad.
February 22, 2008 5:50 PM:
-I sincerly believe that you think I'm intelligent and whitty. I think you're correct. Thank you for the compliment.
-I really don't think you're a loser. You're probably a good and decent person.
-But I'm glad you aren't the mayor as well. Actually I'm not too disappointed Art Ward is mayor. He's a good guy.
Have a nice weekend.
Bristol should totally do this shopping cart thing.
We could become an open air art gallery and then all those artists could buy lofts in the new downtown mall place... maybe we could just fill it up with shopping carts and then artists could build a house with them and live in it and call it a loft???
Let the cops chase the shopping carts. They just sit around watching cable, drinking coffee and eating donuts on the taxpayer's dime anyway. Did you know Bristol is a place where creeps can get away with murder?
February 22, 2008 9:12 PM:
That's the best idea I heard yet. Finally, true vision!
Maybe MCauley wil want the firemen to ride around and pick up the carts, since he doesn't want them shoveling out hydrants.
February 22, 2008 9:17 PM:
I don't know abouyt murder per se, but appearently some get away with larceny and arson (which is the fault of the courts and the liberal Democrat legislature not the cops).
Bristol cops getting away with larceny and arson? What on earth are you talking about?
Some of you people in this town are disgusting! Anytime anyone tries to do something positive, it's knocked down. GIVE THE ORDINANCE A CHANCE!!! Some oridinance is better than no ordinance. We can see what that has gotten us. The problem has just gotten worse and worse!
Obviously the police aren't going to stop people when they see them with carts. They have too many things to do and chasing down cart stealers is not one of them. Hit the stores in their pocketbooks. That's the only way it'll work. I believe this ordinance will work.
Other cities in the country have passed similar laws and they have worked. We need to start cracking down on these stores. Why do they conform in other places but not here? It's because those "other places" have laws in place to prevent exactly what's happening here.
To the 1:14 poster on the 22nd, if shopping carts cost $300 to $400 a pop, I would think it would behoove you to have someone keep an eye out for those carts. You obviously don't care otherwise you would do something to prevent this town from looking like a dump. I personally have called the DFO to no avail. They tell me they pay someone well to pick up carts, but when I call to tell them where a cart is, no one shows up and it sits there to rot. It's obvious you won't do anything unless you're forced to and it's about time this city did something to stop this "blight on wheels"!
It would seem to me that the city fathers should spend some time cleaning their "own house", and set examples.
Our roads need attention, as do the many street/traffic signs. I drive by one warning sign that has been down for about 4 weeks.
They need to continue the effort to replace some of the road side barriers which look like they are 100 years old.
Our parks and other areas under Park jurisdiction have leaves and debris, and consistently have overgrown grass.
Set the example guys before you get too critical.
And the area at the bottom of the Boulevard!
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