I spent some time in Raleigh NC recently. It’s always making those best cities lists. Anyway, I noticed a couple of things Manassas/PWC might take note of . One, they have A LOT of police officers. I spent most of my time at the hospital in Durham, but even so every time I was out in my car I encountered no fewer than 5 police cars – and frequently more. It made me feel secure, that’s for sure (and it may or may not have affected how fast or not fast I drive my car). I would imagine most petty criminals would think twice before acting if they knew so many officers were around. Two, they have a wonderful park system. There is a Capital Greenway that links a lot of natural areas throughout the city by really nice walking/hiking/biking trails. Despite the fact that its population is more dense than the county’s and comparable to the city’s, there are lots of places to get exercise in beautiful, natural, peaceful settings within steps of busy areas. I sure wish we had something like that around here. The bike path on the PW Pkwy simply doesn’t compare. I’d forgotten how beautiful it was.
Just one of my random tantrums…..What is the rhyme and reasoning behind the school zone speed limits? For example:
3 schools in a 25mph zone have a 25mph (when flashing) speed limit
2 schools in a 25mph zone have a 15mph (when flashing) speed limit
1 school in a 35mph zone has a 25mph (when flashing) speed limit
These are just the school zones I drive through on a regular basis. I have seen that the pedestrian crossing signs installed in the middle of the road driving through Old Town have significantly slowed down traffic. Maybe we can install these at all school crosswalks.
I believe it has to do with the type of road the zone is on, e.g., two lane, two lane divided, and which grade of the school, elementary, middle and high school.
Thanks COM. Now if we could only do something about enforcement of those posted speed limits. Living inside one of those 15mph zones, I have been known to walk out in front of traffic (during the time that no students are present, of course) to slow down the people who blatantly ignore the flashing lights.
Sub-section A reads in part: “The maximum speed limit shall be twenty-five miles per hour between portable signs, tilt-over signs, or fixed blinking signs placed in or along any highway and bearing the word ‘school’ or ‘school crossing.'”
However in what almost reads like a conflict to Sub-section A, Sub-section C reads in its entirely: “The governing body of any city or town may, if the portion of the highway to be posted is within the limits of such city or town, increase or decrease the speed limit provided in this section only after justification for such increase or decrease has been shown by an engineering and traffic investigation, and no such increase or decrease in speed limit shall be effective unless such increased or decreased speed limit is conspicuously posted on the portable signs, tilt-over signs, or fixed blinking signs required by this section. ”
Sub-section F builds on Sub-Section C in adding: “Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the maximum speed limit in school zones in residential areas may be decreased to fifteen miles per hour if (i) the school board having jurisdiction over the school nearest to the affected school zone passes a resolution requesting the reduction of the maximum speed limit for such school zone from twenty-five miles per hour to fifteen miles per hour and (ii) the local governing body of the jurisdiction in which such school is located enacts an ordinance establishing the speed-limit reduction requested by the school board. ”
I guess you’ll have to ask whoever makes the traffic and engineering studies in the City and the School Board and the Council since under the Code it seems like all three had a role determining what the school zone speed limits are around each school…
While the Code itself makes no reference to the type of school or to how many lanes (divided or undivided) they are in the road by the school, the local traffic and engineering studies the Code speaks of may include those factors. It would interesting to know what factors are taken into consideration when the City makes the prescribed traffic and engineering studies.
School board had a meeting last night to ask for citizen input on hiring a new superintendent. I don’t know what’s wrong with this board, they even let a homeless man speak, for goodness sake. We need to take our time with this selection process and let the parents and voters give input. One meeting is not enough to let them all speak.
F.Koman said:
“School board had a meeting last night to ask for citizen input on hiring a new superintendent. I don’t know what’s wrong with this board, they even let a homeless man speak, for goodness sake.”
I hear they drew a line in refusing to let the homeless man’s dog speak.
Good one Doug! LOL Koman…why shouldn’t they allow a “homeless man” speak? Let us not forget our constitution and bill of rights. Money does not make a person because you are born with nothing.
Please tell me you’re joking. Why shouldn’t anyone be allowed to speak? Children enrolled in the city schools come from single-family homes, townhomes, condos, apartments…and hotel rooms, couches, basements, cars, tents and shelters. Plenty of veterans are homeless right now. It doesn’t mean you don’t care about your community and have a valid voice to speak in a public forum.
My father was homeless after his family lost a farm in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl. He lived in a tent with his brother in Nyssa, Oregon until a doctor in town took him in so he could finish high school.
I believe we can we work together for a better community while trying to be respectful of each other.
Renee Bolton, Intervention Specialist, Manassas City Public Schools gave a workshop for parents to learn about their rights under the McKinney Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 (guarantees access to a free public education for children and youth who are experiencing homelessness).
How did you insult him? The insult was the survey and the meeting. Maybe the homeless man was one of the candidates for superintendent? Why wasn’t there a question on the survey on whether the new Super should be domiciled or homeless in Manassas? Homelessness should not preclude consideration for the position, what kind of heartless community are we becoming? Besides, if the current School Board is retained, many of us, our children and our little dogs too may join the ranks of homeless. Why shouldn’t we all have the opportunity to be or choose the Superintendent of the MCPS?
The ice rink boards are just coming down and we already have a
problem with skateboarders and bikes at the Harris Pavilion.
The site is posted and there is police enforcement, but
the problem seems to grow each year. The City even dedicated
and equipped a skateboard facility on Prince William St.,
but that hasn’t stopped skateboarding in Old Town.
The riders, and often their parents, don’t seem to care about
the danger and damage they cause to both public and private
property. (Some bikers are no better, the N&M featured a
young man “catching air” off a decorative brick wall at the Pavilion).
The kids should be given a warning, and if they are caught again, they should have to do community service by cleaning that area of trash. See if an off duty police officer or other City employee would like to supervise the kids in order to make sure the kids are completing their service. And, it should be noted that if the action does not stop, the skate board ramp will be taken away. Maybe that will get the kids not breaking the law to get the other kids in line.
I agree with Michele. Fine the skateboarders or their parents if they are minors. Have it clearly posted about the fines for skateboarding so they cannot plead ignorance.
FYI, Virginia deals with skateboarding and bicycles on sidewalks and shared-use paths in Code Section 46.2-904 (http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-904), which is codified in City Code Section 114-391 with the pretty much the same language.
On the fines and signs discussed here I refer you to these lines: “Signs indicating such prohibition shall be conspicuously posted in general areas where use of roller skates and skateboards, and/or bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility devices, motorized skateboards or scooters, motor-driven cycles, or electric power-assisted bicycle riding is prohibited. … A violation of any ordinance adopted pursuant to this section shall be punishable by a civil penalty of not more than $50.”
In brief, the City does have the authority to prohibit bicycling and skateboarding on sidewalks and shared-use paths, signs must be posted for the law to be enforced, these are considered civil, not criminal, offenses, and any fines may not be more then $50.
However, this section does may not apply to the Harris Pavilion itself since it may not be legally considered a sidewalk or shared-use path. I suggest the City Attorney be asked to find out what law(s) could be applied against bicyclists and/or skateboarders there and what the penalties might be under the law(s).
Forgive the typo (the word “does” before “may not”) in the first sentence of my last paragraph it should read: However, this section may not apply to the Harris Pavilion itself since it may not be legally considered a sidewalk or shared-use path.
How about adding a sign giving the directions to the Skate Board thingy over on Prince William Street? Bet dollars to doughnuts a lot of those kids with boards do not even know it is there.
Various issues around the Pavillion and Old Town in general have been going on now for a year….maybe it is time to really take a hard look at putting back Police Foot Patrols during daylight hours. The OTBA was told there would be regular patrols last year around March at their meeting. At least the presence of an Officer may defer some of it.
Excellent idea about having violators pick up trash/clean the area where their violation occurred.
Much less than excellent idea is to have an OFF DUTY officer or city employee donate their time to babysit them. Imagine your own employer telling you, ‘every once in a while, when we have a certain type of problem, we’ll need you to come in and work and we won’t be compensating you for it at all’. Off duty is off duty. Now, you can’t get volunteers without asking, and perhaps the police here are just dying to perform such volunteer work. However, Round Elementary School’s PTO pays police to show up for their annual Shamrock Run 5K (this year it’s Saturday March 24, race starts at 8:30) because the officer in charge of Public Space Permits tells us that an officer on his day off is going to want to be paid for monitoring our race. Skateboard scofflaws might be different, but I don’t believe so.
Confiscating the board/bike immediately, having parent retrieve it only after parent and child perform community service together might be another idea. To confirm service is actually completed, they might have to clean windows and toilets at the police station, (great parent/child bonding experience, likely to only happen once) but to assume that an officer or other city worker owes us supervision of destructive skate punks is asking a little much.
Had a repair man at the house yesterday. He’s lived n Georgetown South for 15+ years. Thought that I would take the opportunity to ask him if things had changed there over the last year or so. He replied that they clearly had, and for the better. Without prompting from me he noted the increased police presence that he believed made a difference.. I asked him if t’s better or much better. He replied much better. I realize that this is anectodal and that even “much better” does not necessarily equal good, but I thought it would be good to note this seemingly positive observation on this open thread.
@Patty: you’re right. It’s eye-opening to see what some cities have done. It’s why they are popular places to live. Past some point, a place like Manassas which is surrounded by the 9th richest jurisdiction in the US, simply becomes the cheapest place in the area to live. Is that compelling? Is it good public policy?
@everyone: I don’t object to having the police help out at the Pavillion but think about the reality of a cop putting your kid in handcuffs and bringing them home for riding their bike. I can guarantee you that I’d get angry emails chastising the police to catch “real” criminals. Be honest with yourselves. Also, you can festoon the area with signs and it’ll make no difference. We’re looking to find a happy medium….
Police walking a beat in Old Town? I can’t believe that’s an option given our current challenges. You might get a patrol every now and then. We are now at our previous (2008?) staff levels for officers – which is the most officers we’ve ever had – but our population is at historic levels as well. Those two rise together. Especially when you have high levels of poverty. We do have officers walking the beat in GTS and that’s working but we haven’t even started to analyze and move our stabilization efforts to Point of Woods. I’d wager that if the chief recommends beat patrols in P Of W that there will be a staff request in there as well……
Thank you all for the suggestions on the skateboarding issue.
Restrooms in public buildings have some of the same
challenges – how do we best maintain public facilities/areas for
the great majority of citizens when a few choose to abuse them?
The Train Depot Restroom: Is not the Depot aka Welcome Center under contract with HMI? Should it not be their responsibility to ensure the restrooms are clean?
It is my understanding that the Train Depot restroom is cleaned twice a day but the homeless people use it to clean up in and that’s how it gets trashed. This problem, in concert with bus stops, skateboarders and the rest are all inter-related public policy problems.
Could someone please explain the issues surrounding the proposed crematorium? The City gave permission for one to operate just 1/2 mile from the one being proposed and it operates today. Are two of these too many? It does not seem logical to me that mercury in peoples teeth can be an issue. What am I missing?
The restrooms in the Train Station are open from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Visitor’s Center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The police unlock and lock them up. Most of the damage occurs before the Visitor’s Center personnel come on duty. The restrooms are cleaned in the evening. If there is damage before they come in, it’s sits until the cleaning crew comes in. If the V. C. people see a homeless person hanging around, they call the police. to my knowledge, it is only cleaned once a day.
If you google “low level mercury crematory” you will see why people are concerned. There are other reasons why people are opposing the crematory but mercury is clearly the biggest concern. As for the funeral home up the road. I was not thrilled to learn that they have a crematory but the location is a bit different. Pierce Funeral Homes is located in a more residential area and has two schools located across the street.
Then I guess it comes back to hoping that kids will show some personal responsibility and not ride their bikes or skate boards where it is against the law/rules. Society has changed and we have a much larger population, but it seems to me from talking to some that are older than me, that at one time when the local police saw a kid get out of line on minor issues, they talked to the kid, and or spoke to the parents, and that usually was the end of it. So again it seems to come down to personal responsiblity.
COM, your right about “once upon a time”. When I was in my formative days, if you rode a bike improperly on a city street and were over 14, in my town you either got a warning from the police or a traffic ticket for operating a nonmoterized vehicle on a city street depending on officer discreation. Age 14 was by ordinance since by then, that Council figured you knew enough. Younger kids might be brought home in the cruiser with bike in the trunk and cops would speak to parents.
Skateboards on streets also could get you a ticket if the cop saw you. Enough of a safety issue the Council there wrote hard public policy. By the way, in my schools before various breaks and summer, we also got the safety lectures about bikes and skateboards in our homeroom.
Truancy….On Weds., as I was driving through town I passed 4 students walking away from OHS at ….9:15 am….then as I turned up Wellington, 2 boys were walking away from Metz. I am just shocked that students are able to walk away from school so easily. So shocked that I actually called Metz to ask about truancy and how it was handled. Their response…was “yeah, it happens all the time. Sometimes they leave to get breakfast and come back or they go for the whole day.” I couldn’t believe how blatant they were….and nothing is really done.
1. First and foremost, it is not ADA compliant since there is not even the simple “change text size” – the Commowealth site, rated a “B” at least has that capability. The Commonwealth’s site has an excellent guide for complying with Section 504. For that matter, the three main references the Commonwealth posts for website standards should be reviewed and used by City.
2. Main Calendar which posts meetings should have links off them (like when the Clerk’s Office posts Council Agena and Meeting). Within different departments, if you go to their page, there might be the various Committee agendas, agenda packets, and minutes…but overall, most bomb-out such as with Finance Committee.
3. Search feature on website is not even a “good” rating. For instance, if I enter “Finance Committee” in the search, I may or may not get the link to find meeting packet. If I enter “Finance”, it does bring it up.
4. No post-meeting updates: example is for when the Council receives a presentation not posted with the orginial agenda packet. You see it in the meeting, and it takes a request to the Clerk’s Office to obtain a copy. ALL material presented at Council or at other Government meetings should be posted. A comparative is the PWC site – when the approved set of minutes are posted, if there was material “not available at time of dispatch”, it is included (or the link to the spot on their website is coded within so you can find it).
5. At a minimum, start with the guides I mentioned and also the points on the Sunshine Report.
Next Thursday at 7 pm, 10,000 phone numbers are automatically being dialed so that Woodbridge residents can participate in BOCS Frank Principi’s 5th tele-town hall — the subject is the proposed 2013 budget. Once connected, residents can press 1 to ask a question or choose to just listen to the dialogue.
I know Del. Miller has done at least one of these in the past. It’d be great to see the city test this out to get more citizen interaction.
The City of Hampton does a weekly live online chat, “Virtual Lunch with the Mayor” in which the mayor and other council members and city officials discuss a range of topics with citizens. http://www.hamptoncommons.com/
There are many things I like about the City’s website — the easy “request a service form” that you fill out and your e-mail is routed to the correct department — also the media center with streaming and taped videos, the P2C (Police to Citizen) crime watch feature and the My Dashboard feature. I do wish it was easier to search for information — instead of pulling down so many menus, just type in a key word and go right to it. Right now, when I type in a key word, I get all sorts of unrelated items.
Will this crematory be located in a residential area near schools? Regardless, just because one location approves of something doesn’t mean that it is right for our city.
FourKidsnaDog, agree, but still found it interesting that another area
jurisdiction was addressing the general issue of crematoriums and
mercury this month. No doubt the specifics of the site, etc. are
different. From searching the web, it is apparent a number of
governing bodies have wrestled with this question – with often
different conclusions.
March 13, 2012 at 3:19 pm
I noticed today the work on the overpass has started up again.
March 13, 2012 at 3:32 pm
I spent some time in Raleigh NC recently. It’s always making those best cities lists. Anyway, I noticed a couple of things Manassas/PWC might take note of . One, they have A LOT of police officers. I spent most of my time at the hospital in Durham, but even so every time I was out in my car I encountered no fewer than 5 police cars – and frequently more. It made me feel secure, that’s for sure (and it may or may not have affected how fast or not fast I drive my car). I would imagine most petty criminals would think twice before acting if they knew so many officers were around. Two, they have a wonderful park system. There is a Capital Greenway that links a lot of natural areas throughout the city by really nice walking/hiking/biking trails. Despite the fact that its population is more dense than the county’s and comparable to the city’s, there are lots of places to get exercise in beautiful, natural, peaceful settings within steps of busy areas. I sure wish we had something like that around here. The bike path on the PW Pkwy simply doesn’t compare. I’d forgotten how beautiful it was.
March 13, 2012 at 8:41 pm
Just one of my random tantrums…..What is the rhyme and reasoning behind the school zone speed limits? For example:
3 schools in a 25mph zone have a 25mph (when flashing) speed limit
2 schools in a 25mph zone have a 15mph (when flashing) speed limit
1 school in a 35mph zone has a 25mph (when flashing) speed limit
These are just the school zones I drive through on a regular basis. I have seen that the pedestrian crossing signs installed in the middle of the road driving through Old Town have significantly slowed down traffic. Maybe we can install these at all school crosswalks.
March 13, 2012 at 9:31 pm
Big D,
I believe it has to do with the type of road the zone is on, e.g., two lane, two lane divided, and which grade of the school, elementary, middle and high school.
March 13, 2012 at 10:00 pm
Thanks COM. Now if we could only do something about enforcement of those posted speed limits. Living inside one of those 15mph zones, I have been known to walk out in front of traffic (during the time that no students are present, of course) to slow down the people who blatantly ignore the flashing lights.
March 13, 2012 at 10:08 pm
Big D, VA Code Section 46.2-873 (http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-873) relates to school zones.
Sub-section A reads in part: “The maximum speed limit shall be twenty-five miles per hour between portable signs, tilt-over signs, or fixed blinking signs placed in or along any highway and bearing the word ‘school’ or ‘school crossing.'”
However in what almost reads like a conflict to Sub-section A, Sub-section C reads in its entirely: “The governing body of any city or town may, if the portion of the highway to be posted is within the limits of such city or town, increase or decrease the speed limit provided in this section only after justification for such increase or decrease has been shown by an engineering and traffic investigation, and no such increase or decrease in speed limit shall be effective unless such increased or decreased speed limit is conspicuously posted on the portable signs, tilt-over signs, or fixed blinking signs required by this section. ”
Sub-section F builds on Sub-Section C in adding: “Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the maximum speed limit in school zones in residential areas may be decreased to fifteen miles per hour if (i) the school board having jurisdiction over the school nearest to the affected school zone passes a resolution requesting the reduction of the maximum speed limit for such school zone from twenty-five miles per hour to fifteen miles per hour and (ii) the local governing body of the jurisdiction in which such school is located enacts an ordinance establishing the speed-limit reduction requested by the school board. ”
I guess you’ll have to ask whoever makes the traffic and engineering studies in the City and the School Board and the Council since under the Code it seems like all three had a role determining what the school zone speed limits are around each school…
March 13, 2012 at 10:17 pm
COM,
While the Code itself makes no reference to the type of school or to how many lanes (divided or undivided) they are in the road by the school, the local traffic and engineering studies the Code speaks of may include those factors. It would interesting to know what factors are taken into consideration when the City makes the prescribed traffic and engineering studies.
March 14, 2012 at 5:12 am
School board had a meeting last night to ask for citizen input on hiring a new superintendent. I don’t know what’s wrong with this board, they even let a homeless man speak, for goodness sake. We need to take our time with this selection process and let the parents and voters give input. One meeting is not enough to let them all speak.
March 14, 2012 at 6:04 am
Andrew,
I should avoid reading State law this early in the morning. Sometimes fewer words are better.
March 14, 2012 at 7:15 am
F.Koman said:
“School board had a meeting last night to ask for citizen input on hiring a new superintendent. I don’t know what’s wrong with this board, they even let a homeless man speak, for goodness sake.”
I hear they drew a line in refusing to let the homeless man’s dog speak.
March 14, 2012 at 8:19 am
Good one Doug! LOL Koman…why shouldn’t they allow a “homeless man” speak? Let us not forget our constitution and bill of rights. Money does not make a person because you are born with nothing.
March 14, 2012 at 8:32 am
Please tell me you’re joking. Why shouldn’t anyone be allowed to speak? Children enrolled in the city schools come from single-family homes, townhomes, condos, apartments…and hotel rooms, couches, basements, cars, tents and shelters. Plenty of veterans are homeless right now. It doesn’t mean you don’t care about your community and have a valid voice to speak in a public forum.
My father was homeless after his family lost a farm in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl. He lived in a tent with his brother in Nyssa, Oregon until a doctor in town took him in so he could finish high school.
I believe we can we work together for a better community while trying to be respectful of each other.
March 14, 2012 at 8:39 am
The City sponsored a Housing Event last fall that addressed this issue:
http://manassas.patch.com/events/theres-no-place-like-home-3ce326dd
Renee Bolton, Intervention Specialist, Manassas City Public Schools gave a workshop for parents to learn about their rights under the McKinney Vento Homeless Education Act of 2001 (guarantees access to a free public education for children and youth who are experiencing homelessness).
March 14, 2012 at 9:47 am
Well ok, I don’t know for a fact that he was homeless, perhaps just a slob. But there’s no law against that. Sorry for insulting the gentleman.
March 14, 2012 at 11:26 am
Homeless or not, if he is a Citizen of the City, I have no issues with him speaking at a public meeting.
March 14, 2012 at 1:19 pm
F. Koman,
How did you insult him? The insult was the survey and the meeting. Maybe the homeless man was one of the candidates for superintendent? Why wasn’t there a question on the survey on whether the new Super should be domiciled or homeless in Manassas? Homelessness should not preclude consideration for the position, what kind of heartless community are we becoming? Besides, if the current School Board is retained, many of us, our children and our little dogs too may join the ranks of homeless. Why shouldn’t we all have the opportunity to be or choose the Superintendent of the MCPS?
March 14, 2012 at 2:18 pm
The ice rink boards are just coming down and we already have a
problem with skateboarders and bikes at the Harris Pavilion.
The site is posted and there is police enforcement, but
the problem seems to grow each year. The City even dedicated
and equipped a skateboard facility on Prince William St.,
but that hasn’t stopped skateboarding in Old Town.
The riders, and often their parents, don’t seem to care about
the danger and damage they cause to both public and private
property. (Some bikers are no better, the N&M featured a
young man “catching air” off a decorative brick wall at the Pavilion).
Any good ideas on how to deal with this issue?
March 14, 2012 at 2:25 pm
FYI: the Liberty St. “flag poles” have apparently been replaced
by Mr. Fernandez.
March 14, 2012 at 4:16 pm
Have the police take them for a ride! Most parents probably don’t even know where their kids are…
March 14, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Can tickets be issued for skateboards/bikes? Hit them in the wallet.
March 14, 2012 at 4:40 pm
The kids should be given a warning, and if they are caught again, they should have to do community service by cleaning that area of trash. See if an off duty police officer or other City employee would like to supervise the kids in order to make sure the kids are completing their service. And, it should be noted that if the action does not stop, the skate board ramp will be taken away. Maybe that will get the kids not breaking the law to get the other kids in line.
March 14, 2012 at 4:40 pm
I agree with Michele. Fine the skateboarders or their parents if they are minors. Have it clearly posted about the fines for skateboarding so they cannot plead ignorance.
March 14, 2012 at 8:40 pm
Technically, didn’t they get the warning from the sign that is posted that says NO SKATEBOARDING OR BIKES?
March 14, 2012 at 8:40 pm
Technically, didn’t they get the warning from the sign that is posted that says NO SKATEBOARDING OR BIKES? Now is the time for a consequence.
March 14, 2012 at 8:57 pm
FYI, Virginia deals with skateboarding and bicycles on sidewalks and shared-use paths in Code Section 46.2-904 (http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-904), which is codified in City Code Section 114-391 with the pretty much the same language.
On the fines and signs discussed here I refer you to these lines: “Signs indicating such prohibition shall be conspicuously posted in general areas where use of roller skates and skateboards, and/or bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility devices, motorized skateboards or scooters, motor-driven cycles, or electric power-assisted bicycle riding is prohibited. … A violation of any ordinance adopted pursuant to this section shall be punishable by a civil penalty of not more than $50.”
In brief, the City does have the authority to prohibit bicycling and skateboarding on sidewalks and shared-use paths, signs must be posted for the law to be enforced, these are considered civil, not criminal, offenses, and any fines may not be more then $50.
However, this section does may not apply to the Harris Pavilion itself since it may not be legally considered a sidewalk or shared-use path. I suggest the City Attorney be asked to find out what law(s) could be applied against bicyclists and/or skateboarders there and what the penalties might be under the law(s).
March 14, 2012 at 9:00 pm
Forgive the typo (the word “does” before “may not”) in the first sentence of my last paragraph it should read: However, this section may not apply to the Harris Pavilion itself since it may not be legally considered a sidewalk or shared-use path.
March 14, 2012 at 9:25 pm
How about adding a sign giving the directions to the Skate Board thingy over on Prince William Street? Bet dollars to doughnuts a lot of those kids with boards do not even know it is there.
Various issues around the Pavillion and Old Town in general have been going on now for a year….maybe it is time to really take a hard look at putting back Police Foot Patrols during daylight hours. The OTBA was told there would be regular patrols last year around March at their meeting. At least the presence of an Officer may defer some of it.
March 15, 2012 at 4:35 am
@com
Excellent idea about having violators pick up trash/clean the area where their violation occurred.
Much less than excellent idea is to have an OFF DUTY officer or city employee donate their time to babysit them. Imagine your own employer telling you, ‘every once in a while, when we have a certain type of problem, we’ll need you to come in and work and we won’t be compensating you for it at all’. Off duty is off duty. Now, you can’t get volunteers without asking, and perhaps the police here are just dying to perform such volunteer work. However, Round Elementary School’s PTO pays police to show up for their annual Shamrock Run 5K (this year it’s Saturday March 24, race starts at 8:30) because the officer in charge of Public Space Permits tells us that an officer on his day off is going to want to be paid for monitoring our race. Skateboard scofflaws might be different, but I don’t believe so.
Confiscating the board/bike immediately, having parent retrieve it only after parent and child perform community service together might be another idea. To confirm service is actually completed, they might have to clean windows and toilets at the police station, (great parent/child bonding experience, likely to only happen once) but to assume that an officer or other city worker owes us supervision of destructive skate punks is asking a little much.
March 15, 2012 at 5:59 am
Retiered,
I thought if the City could get volunteers it would save the City money, but obviously it does depend on people wanting to do it without pay.
March 15, 2012 at 6:16 am
Had a repair man at the house yesterday. He’s lived n Georgetown South for 15+ years. Thought that I would take the opportunity to ask him if things had changed there over the last year or so. He replied that they clearly had, and for the better. Without prompting from me he noted the increased police presence that he believed made a difference.. I asked him if t’s better or much better. He replied much better. I realize that this is anectodal and that even “much better” does not necessarily equal good, but I thought it would be good to note this seemingly positive observation on this open thread.
March 15, 2012 at 7:04 am
2 things:
@Patty: you’re right. It’s eye-opening to see what some cities have done. It’s why they are popular places to live. Past some point, a place like Manassas which is surrounded by the 9th richest jurisdiction in the US, simply becomes the cheapest place in the area to live. Is that compelling? Is it good public policy?
@everyone: I don’t object to having the police help out at the Pavillion but think about the reality of a cop putting your kid in handcuffs and bringing them home for riding their bike. I can guarantee you that I’d get angry emails chastising the police to catch “real” criminals. Be honest with yourselves. Also, you can festoon the area with signs and it’ll make no difference. We’re looking to find a happy medium….
Police walking a beat in Old Town? I can’t believe that’s an option given our current challenges. You might get a patrol every now and then. We are now at our previous (2008?) staff levels for officers – which is the most officers we’ve ever had – but our population is at historic levels as well. Those two rise together. Especially when you have high levels of poverty. We do have officers walking the beat in GTS and that’s working but we haven’t even started to analyze and move our stabilization efforts to Point of Woods. I’d wager that if the chief recommends beat patrols in P Of W that there will be a staff request in there as well……
March 15, 2012 at 7:48 am
I was in the train depot the other day and had to take my child into the bathroom – it was absolutely trashed. Doesn’t the city clean them?
March 15, 2012 at 8:20 am
http://ideas.time.com/2012/03/15/5-things-teachers-could-learn-from-the-marines
Agree?
March 15, 2012 at 8:43 am
Thank you all for the suggestions on the skateboarding issue.
Restrooms in public buildings have some of the same
challenges – how do we best maintain public facilities/areas for
the great majority of citizens when a few choose to abuse them?
Will check on the cleaning schedule.
March 15, 2012 at 8:55 am
The Train Depot Restroom: Is not the Depot aka Welcome Center under contract with HMI? Should it not be their responsibility to ensure the restrooms are clean?
March 15, 2012 at 9:00 am
It is my understanding that the Train Depot restroom is cleaned twice a day but the homeless people use it to clean up in and that’s how it gets trashed. This problem, in concert with bus stops, skateboarders and the rest are all inter-related public policy problems.
March 15, 2012 at 9:17 am
Could someone please explain the issues surrounding the proposed crematorium? The City gave permission for one to operate just 1/2 mile from the one being proposed and it operates today. Are two of these too many? It does not seem logical to me that mercury in peoples teeth can be an issue. What am I missing?
March 15, 2012 at 10:47 am
The restrooms in the Train Station are open from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The Visitor’s Center is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The police unlock and lock them up. Most of the damage occurs before the Visitor’s Center personnel come on duty. The restrooms are cleaned in the evening. If there is damage before they come in, it’s sits until the cleaning crew comes in. If the V. C. people see a homeless person hanging around, they call the police. to my knowledge, it is only cleaned once a day.
March 15, 2012 at 11:54 am
@Mo,
If you google “low level mercury crematory” you will see why people are concerned. There are other reasons why people are opposing the crematory but mercury is clearly the biggest concern. As for the funeral home up the road. I was not thrilled to learn that they have a crematory but the location is a bit different. Pierce Funeral Homes is located in a more residential area and has two schools located across the street.
March 15, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Then I guess it comes back to hoping that kids will show some personal responsibility and not ride their bikes or skate boards where it is against the law/rules. Society has changed and we have a much larger population, but it seems to me from talking to some that are older than me, that at one time when the local police saw a kid get out of line on minor issues, they talked to the kid, and or spoke to the parents, and that usually was the end of it. So again it seems to come down to personal responsiblity.
March 15, 2012 at 3:54 pm
COM, your right about “once upon a time”. When I was in my formative days, if you rode a bike improperly on a city street and were over 14, in my town you either got a warning from the police or a traffic ticket for operating a nonmoterized vehicle on a city street depending on officer discreation. Age 14 was by ordinance since by then, that Council figured you knew enough. Younger kids might be brought home in the cruiser with bike in the trunk and cops would speak to parents.
Skateboards on streets also could get you a ticket if the cop saw you. Enough of a safety issue the Council there wrote hard public policy. By the way, in my schools before various breaks and summer, we also got the safety lectures about bikes and skateboards in our homeroom.
Yes, times have changed.
March 16, 2012 at 6:10 am
Truancy….On Weds., as I was driving through town I passed 4 students walking away from OHS at ….9:15 am….then as I turned up Wellington, 2 boys were walking away from Metz. I am just shocked that students are able to walk away from school so easily. So shocked that I actually called Metz to ask about truancy and how it was handled. Their response…was “yeah, it happens all the time. Sometimes they leave to get breakfast and come back or they go for the whole day.” I couldn’t believe how blatant they were….and nothing is really done.
March 16, 2012 at 6:26 am
Raymond,
We could only hope it was like that today.
March 16, 2012 at 8:13 am
http://sunshinereview.org/core/home
Group rates government websites.
Key in “manassas,virginia” in the search box on their website.
Manassas gets a “C”, MP a B-, and PWC a B.
Looks like our website has some room for improvement.
Suggestions?
March 16, 2012 at 11:50 am
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=159&sid=2788999
FYI-Leesburg approved their first crematorium this week,
even though the Mayor voted no.
March 16, 2012 at 5:38 pm
Mr Randolph,
There is a lot of info missing or not up to date on the website or buried so it is hard to find.
March 17, 2012 at 8:00 am
On the website:
1. First and foremost, it is not ADA compliant since there is not even the simple “change text size” – the Commowealth site, rated a “B” at least has that capability. The Commonwealth’s site has an excellent guide for complying with Section 504. For that matter, the three main references the Commonwealth posts for website standards should be reviewed and used by City.
2. Main Calendar which posts meetings should have links off them (like when the Clerk’s Office posts Council Agena and Meeting). Within different departments, if you go to their page, there might be the various Committee agendas, agenda packets, and minutes…but overall, most bomb-out such as with Finance Committee.
3. Search feature on website is not even a “good” rating. For instance, if I enter “Finance Committee” in the search, I may or may not get the link to find meeting packet. If I enter “Finance”, it does bring it up.
4. No post-meeting updates: example is for when the Council receives a presentation not posted with the orginial agenda packet. You see it in the meeting, and it takes a request to the Clerk’s Office to obtain a copy. ALL material presented at Council or at other Government meetings should be posted. A comparative is the PWC site – when the approved set of minutes are posted, if there was material “not available at time of dispatch”, it is included (or the link to the spot on their website is coded within so you can find it).
5. At a minimum, start with the guides I mentioned and also the points on the Sunshine Report.
March 17, 2012 at 8:24 am
Next Thursday at 7 pm, 10,000 phone numbers are automatically being dialed so that Woodbridge residents can participate in BOCS Frank Principi’s 5th tele-town hall — the subject is the proposed 2013 budget. Once connected, residents can press 1 to ask a question or choose to just listen to the dialogue.
I know Del. Miller has done at least one of these in the past. It’d be great to see the city test this out to get more citizen interaction.
The City of Hampton does a weekly live online chat, “Virtual Lunch with the Mayor” in which the mayor and other council members and city officials discuss a range of topics with citizens. http://www.hamptoncommons.com/
There are many things I like about the City’s website — the easy “request a service form” that you fill out and your e-mail is routed to the correct department — also the media center with streaming and taped videos, the P2C (Police to Citizen) crime watch feature and the My Dashboard feature. I do wish it was easier to search for information — instead of pulling down so many menus, just type in a key word and go right to it. Right now, when I type in a key word, I get all sorts of unrelated items.
March 17, 2012 at 9:32 am
@Steve Randolph,
Will this crematory be located in a residential area near schools? Regardless, just because one location approves of something doesn’t mean that it is right for our city.
March 17, 2012 at 7:08 pm
FourKidsnaDog, agree, but still found it interesting that another area
jurisdiction was addressing the general issue of crematoriums and
mercury this month. No doubt the specifics of the site, etc. are
different. From searching the web, it is apparent a number of
governing bodies have wrestled with this question – with often
different conclusions.