New York – Brooklyn Council Member Brad Lander introduced legislation today to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, creating a sidewalk litter exemption on holidays during which alternate side parking is suspended.
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The legislation would not allow The Department of Sanitation to ticket homeowners and businesses for dirty sidewalks on major religious holidays when alternate side parking is suspended, including Sukkoth, Purim, and Shauvoth.
“My office, receives numerous complaints about dirty sidewalk violation tickets that were issued on holidays; days when many New Yorkers are not allowed to work,” said Councilmember Brad Lander. “Through a small adjustment in the administrative code – stopping sanitation ticketing on holidays during which alternate side parking is suspended – we can make life easier for all New Yorkers.”
The final impetus for this legislation came about as a result of several constituents who contacted Councilman Lander. An elderly resident of Borough Park section in Brooklyn was very agitated at the prospect of paying a $100 fine for a dirty sidewalk issued on a holiday. His appeal on religious grounds was rejected by the Environmental Control Board.
The administrative code of the city of New York currently allows for the Department of Sanitation to fine residential and commercial property for trash and litter on curbs and sidewalks outside of designated trash pick-up days. During holidays, residents may be away from home or otherwise unable to remove litter at the designated time. As such, residents should not be subject to fines on holidays when they are not able to remove litter from the sidewalk.
Under this bill, the subdivision regarding sidewalk litter will not apply on holidays when alternate-side street parking regulations have also been suspended.
Finally a Councilmember introducing good legislation not just to catch headlines.
Somebody should ticket the car in the pic. It must be dirtier than the sidewalk that got a $100 fine.
Every department in the city is aware of the religious restrictions that would interfere with parking and sanitation. The ticketing is the Bloomberg-famous “gotcha” scams that seek to criminalize NYC citizens to raise revenue. Every rational and moral human needs to decry this. If this ever gets to City Council, any results should be a veto-proof law that cannot be challenged by the greedy mayor.
What about every Shabbos, when religious people can’t clean aswell as regular holidays of the Jewish faith. all outside cleaning is considered work which is in violation of the religios observance.
And then there’s the school kids leaving their garbage trail behind.
I don’t understand whats the bid deal about keep garbage off the sidewalk in front of your house or business on Purim but even on yom tovim. It takes zero effort to clean the sidewalk and if you don’t want to do it yourself, hire someone to do it for you. The streets are already filthy and this ill-advised legislation will only make it worse. In any event, Bloomberg has previously veoted similiar bills and will do so here if this is ever enacted.