Who Is In Charge of That Parking Bureau Department Thingy? Does Anyone Care? Does The Mayor Even Know?

 

There are at least four things to be concerned about (and perhaps amused by) regarding what is written in the automatic email response I got yesterday from the "City of Hudson Parking Violations Bureau."

First of all, according to the DEPARTMENTS page of the city's website, there is no such thing as a "Parking Violations Bureau."  There is a "Parking Bureau," though it does not include the word Violations.  And on the Parking Bureau's page there is no mention of a Parking Violations Bureau associated with the Parking Bureau.  It's difficult to believe that the Parking Bureau (or the Parking Violations Bureau) can get anything done if we're not all on the same goddam page and can't agree what to call the department (or bureau!).  Who is mistaken by calling the Parking Bureau the Parking Violations Bureau?  (Or is it the other way around?)  And do the people at the Parking Bureau Department (or whatever it's called) only concern themselves with violations (tickets) and nothing else?  

Do you see why nothing gets accomplished or accomplished properly?  It's worth repeating weekly:  the monthly parking report is offered to the SAFETY Committee from someone who does not even work for the Parking Bureau Violations Department.  With a dysfunctional structure such as this, how can anything get accomplished?

As usual, getting nothing accomplished about 
parking at another SAFETY Committee meeting!

Two people work for the Department of the Parking (Violations) Bureau at HPD -- Doreen Danforth and the clerk who is supposed to meet you at the window at 701A Union to handle your parking violation ticket.  (I have heard several complaints that often no one is available in the office and the phone is never answered.  I can attest to the latter.)  I don't even know what Doreen's title is at the Parking (Violations) Bureau, but I do know she is still our full-time Police Clerk at HPD.  Meanwhile, to add to the confusion, neither one of those people show up to SAFETY Committee meetings to talk and answer questions about parking, to let the council and the public what's going on with the city's new ambitious paid parking system or give the monthly parking update.  Captain David Miller, the second-in-command at HPD -- the department which "took over parking" last July -- shows up to Safety Committee meetings instead of someone who actually works for (in?) the Parking (Violations) Bureau (Department).  Miller, occasionally with the help of Chief Franklin when she shows up, gives the monthly parking report, offering data from the Parking (Violations) Bureau Department which he is not a part of.  I wonder if Miller refers to the Parking Bureau as the Parking Violations Bureau or if he refers to the Parking Violations Bureau as the Parking Bureau.  Someone should ask him.  What I do know is that Captain Miller does not work for (in?) the Parking Bureau. Or, for that matter, for (in?) the Parking Violations Bureau!

Second:  Given all this confusion and opaqueness (not to mention creepiness), is it any surprise that there is no actual person associated with the email from the "Parking Violations Bureau"?  "I will be out of the office..." it says.   Who the heck are you; why is your name and title not at the bottom of your message?  Are you embarrassed to introduce yourself, tell us who you work for and what your title is?  Please don't tell us your initials are A.I.!  And who do you work for?  The Hudson Police Department?  The Parking Bureau of Violations Department?  And who is your supervisor, if there is one?  David Miller?  Mishanda Franklin?  Joe Ferris? Doreen Danforth?  One of the parking enforcers?

3rd:  "701A Union Street."  What on earth is the point of including the letter A after 701?  How is that any help to anyone if there is only one building at 701 Union Street?  It's just more bureaucratic nonsense designed to confuse! 

Finally, there's the link at the bottom of the email message, titled City Code Article V Parking Meters.

Gee, thanks, whoever you are, this is almost completely irrelevant and needs to be done away with if you want my respect.  News flash to Parking Bureau Violations Department: your "parking meters" have been gone for months.  They no longer exist on city sidewalks!  I can't even put a "slug" into one anymore! 

If you want me to pay a ticket for not paying for my parking space, how about you get your house in order by creating rules that are relevant to the 21st century and your new paid parking system that you are so proud of and that you are forcing on all of us who park in the city, including city residents?  We'll do our part if you do yours. Does that sound reasonable?  Does that sound like a fair deal to you, whoever YOU are?

What an absolute mess!