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By JENNIFER LEARN-ANDES jandes@leader.net
Friday, March 14, 2003 Page: 3A
WILKES-BARRE – Luzerne County Security Chief Richard Simonson has issued a
memo that threatens hefty fines because the parking situation at Penn Place
has gotten out of hand.
“Now comes me the bad guy,” Simonson says in his memo, posted at the
security desk to grab the attention of employees and the public.
Simonson said he received “numerous” complaints about parking at Penn
Place, which houses county offices.
“Some are the fault of mine because I cleared employees who are not
assigned spots,” Simonson said.
Some employees without assigned spots were allowed to park inside the gated
lot because they were concerned about walking in the area at night and “to
try to make the transition easier,” Simonson said.
These employees with unassigned spots were expressly told not to take any
assigned spots, but some didn’t listen, he said.
Only employees with assigned spots will be allowed to enter the lot from
now on.
Changes in who gets the 65 assigned spots must be approved by department
heads, he said.
Anyone who takes another workers’ spot will be fined $300 by Wilkes-Barre
police under the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code Section 3353 for parking in
prohibited places, the memo says.
Vehicles also will be towed away and reported to county Court of Common
Pleas President Judge Mike Conahan, Simonson said.
“This action is being taken for everybody’s safety,” Simonson said.
Simonson said 65 of the 70 spots are assigned, and the remaining five are
reserved for visiting judges.
County Board of Commissioners Chairman Tom Pizano had said months ago he
would try to set aside some handicap-parking spots for the general public, but
that hasn’t been done.
However, Simonson said his staff will make every effort to find an
available spot for people with disabilities. He instructed them to pull up to
the gate and alert a security guard.
Nanticoke resident Mike Stachowiak publicly complained in October that his
safety was jeopardized because he was refused a handicap-parking spot.
Stachowiak, whose legs are amputated above the knees and is missing part of
his right arm, was forced to park on Pennsylvania Avenue and back his
wheelchair into traffic.
“If somebody is truly handicapped, we will get them in,” Simonson said.
Jennifer Learn-Andes, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at
831-7333.