Next time a federal holiday is observed, rest assured the Hinsdale Police Department will have plenty of signs downtown to warn those of village’s meter parking regulations.
During a Zoning and Public Safety Committee meeting Monday, Jan. 25, committee members were assured by Police Chief Bradley Bloom any confusion regarding whether meters are enforced on holidays will be eliminated following one resident’s complaint.
On Jan. 18 — a federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. — police wrote 19 tickets for parking meter violations in the downtown shopping district.
One was issued to John M. Eber, 929 S. Grant St., Hinsdale, who promptly went to the police station and filed a complaint, then wrote an e-mail to village officials rebuking them for not observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day by allowing free parking as on other holidays.
In the e-mail, addressed to Village Manager David Cook and Village President Tom Cauley, Eber chastised the village.
“Shame on the village for not recognizing MLK day even though the federal government has seen it fit to make it one of a handful of such days along with the states, banks, exchanges and many major businesses,” Eber wrote. “Even more shame for the deceptive meter practices. It would seem the village is more interested in tricking its visitors into a $5 ticket (when we could easily have paid $0.25) than encouraging them to come spend some time and money in our shops.
“No wonder we are struggling downtown,” Eber wrote.
Bloom said the police do not write tickets capriciously, and simply made a mistake in communication.
“We erred in that we normally place visible signage throughout the shopping district informing people if the meters are being enforced, and this time we did not,” said Bloom. “Occasionally there is some confusion because people read or hear reports that Chicago’s parking meters are not being enforced on a certain holiday, and they assume the same applies in Hinsdale.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is one of three “lesser observed holidays” on which the village continues to enforce its parking meters in the downtown area, according to Bloom.
“The holidays that apply are clearly printed on the meters,” said Deputy Police Chief Mark Wodka.
The $5 citation written for Eber was voided.
Bloom said discussion during the committee meeting centered on future efforts by police to educate the public on which holidays are observed with removal of meter restrictions.
“We are not out there trying to write tickets. We would much rather educate and inform the public in order to get voluntary compliance — that is our goal,” Bloom said. “We’ll have signs placed prominently in the shopping district at key locations on all future holidays to remove any doubts.”
As of Tuesday, Jan. 26, nine of the tickets written Jan. 18 have been paid, Bloom said.
At a glance
In 2006, the Village of Hinsdale determined on which holidays meters in the downtown shopping area would not be enforced
HOLIDAYS METERS NOT ENFORCED
• New Year’s Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas
HOLIDAYS METERS ENFORCED
• Martin Luther King Day
• Washington’s Birthday
• Veterans Day
