Let's use maps to have better conversations. And let's build local communities by talking about shared opportunities as well as concerns.
Why I voted to move the Parking Ordinance forward
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Hi Reader, Last night Jenkintown Borough Council moved to advertise the updated Borough Parking Ordinance. I want to express my appreciation to everyone: Residents who invested time into coming up with solutions, Borough staff who answered questions, business and property owners who sought clarification, and fellow council members. Last night, Cedar Street residents spoke with clarity about their concerns and advocated for a solution. Thank you. Communication is a processIf you were to get an email notice stating, Community Meeting to Discuss the Proposed Parking Ordinance, you might think nothing of it. And if you could find the parking ordinance in the previous month's agenda, you'll know that ordinances are not all that easy to read. Aspects of processFirst, a constituent needs to recognize that there is a problem that affects them. Then they need to have access to information about the problem. Then they need to understand the problem. This happens through discussion. Then they need to be able to provide input by sharing their challenges and concerns. Then, with awareness of the issues, Council (with support of staff and lawyers) can compose and present a draft ordinance to be voted on. Council advertises and then votes to adopt ordinances. Staff implements these as directed by Council. Sometimes this happens through a study. Sometimes recognition happens late in the process and everything seems rushed. The ordinance provides clarityWhile I question several aspects of the ordinance, parking is so important to Jenkintown that we can not afford not to be documenting problems, assumptions and opportunities ASAP. The ordinance helps us do this. Here's why I voted for the ordinance as presentedBy working with an ordinance that matches signage, we can move from "What if's?" to collecting useful data, to making updates to our ordinances based on data. Several Council and community members have expressed a keen interest in using data collected to study parking.
Next stepsThe Council still has to vote on the ordinance on March 26. I won't be at that meeting due to travels. I will be at the Committee meeting next Wednesday. I am working with Council President Conners to form a subcommittee around parking. This would involve a few Council members and community stakeholders, and we will do our best to engage with the community as a whole. Final thoughtYou can call me, but it's advantageous when you can talk to a couple of Council members at the same time. We respond differently and can discuss what we hear. My phone number is (215) 887-5986. Sincerely, Steve ps. The link below also has a way to sign up for my emails. If you can share it, I would appreciate it. https://steve-spindler-cartography.kit.com/posts |
Steve Spindler
Let's use maps to have better conversations. And let's build local communities by talking about shared opportunities as well as concerns.
Hi Reader, Some background To help make sense of things, I make maps. We (the Borough in public meetings) have been talking about parking over the last 9 months. Basically, we put together a comprehensive ordinance to address a lot of problems with the current ordinance. This email is to try to answer some questions and deal with misconceptions. My personal map made from proposed code revisions. As I write this, I got an email as well as another email complaining about a lack of response. I...
Hi Reader, I realize not everyone wants these emails, so feel free to unsubscribe at the end of this email. Sometimes we ask questions to ponder whether there is a better solution. If someone in the Borough asks, "What would be better than we have now?" Does this question mean that what we currently have is bad? No. You can just be curious. Walking meetups Walking is a way to talk about problems and options that might lead to improvements. I want to follow up from last week, first by saying...
Hi Reader I've been writing up my perspective on parking in Jenkintown, the budget process, street lights, and the new trail and sidewalk along Washington Ave. These aren't ready to share, and I want to get this info out to you in case you're not aware. Tonight there is a presentation about the DCED study: Police Cost to Benefit Analysis. Here's the pdf that was shared via the Borough's email. Here's a clip from Manager Locke's email:The DCED presentation will take place in person at...