Diminished Services, Diminished Revenue.....To Pay or Not To Pay

     The day of the snow/freezing rain storm last week, I parked in the municipal lot behind Staples on E. Broad St. 
     After exiting my vehicle, I made an attempt to locate the number that identified the parking space I was occupying for the purpose of paying for my time while parked; I was unable to do so, couldn't find it. 
     The lot had not been plowed and the snow on the ground was frozen solid with ice on top. 
     Fearing I might receive a parking ticket for not paying a parking fee, I placed a call to Westfield Police headquarters.  After explaining my dilemma to the police dispatcher, my call was promptly transferred to the parking department. 
     After explaining the situation to the parking department employee, I was told not to worry about it.  I was informed that parking enforcement employees were not ticketing people due to the conditions.

     The picture shown here was taken at approximately 8:30 pm on Thursday night (1/27/11).  The picture is of snowbound meters on Quimby St.
     If you park your car at one of these meters, should you be expected to pay the meter fee?  Access to these meters is impossible for some.  If you don't pay the meter because you can't deposit a coin, would this be a valid defense in Westfield Municipal Court?  
     In a year where Mayor Skibitsky has claimed that there will be "no diminished services" in 2011, these meters should be accessible, but they are not.
     Any other year, the snow in downtown Westfield would have been removed late at night, after a snow storm, by DPW workers and transported to Memorial pool to be stored until it melts away.  Not so this year, a year where "diminished services" are a fact. 

It appears there will be "diminished revenue" for the town as well until the parking meters are accessible..

See related story by clicking on this link http://07090.blogspot.com/2011/01/double-talk.html