The February Council Meeting is tomorrow night, 7pm. I am unable to attend due to previous obligations, but I wanted to share something with everyone, and I hope that more people will attend.
On the Minerva Park Website, there is an Ordinance to be read tomorrow about Garage Sales.
The legislation is available here: http://minervapark.org/legislation/2012/01-2012_garage-sales.doc
This includes limiting sales to 3 days maximum, 9am to 6pm, permits (with fee) required 3 days in advance, which includes giving permission to any Minerva Park personnel to inspect the sale, signs are restricted in size and format in that they must be free-standing and not have balloons, streamers, or other attention catching attachments.
The list goes on, so I encourage residents to read the legislation. Speak up if you are dissatisfied with it. Not just here, either!! Go to the meetings, send e-mails, talk to "your" council members. Document it, if you can, because that's the only way to keep them honest at this point. That's why I do it.
I do see the value in limiting sales to keep our neighborhood from becoming a swap meet, but really, is this an issue at present? Do we need to limit the specific hours residents can have sales? What about summer time when it's daylight until 9pm and maybe people have to work until 5, and people are out and about in the evening? And two per year? That's it, even if you co-host?
And what about the MPCA garage sale? Does that count as one of your two per year??
These rules seem a little invasive to me, and I know I am not alone in thinking that.
-Jessica Rhoads
This Ordinance is a great example of what's wrong with the way the Village is run. It has been brought to the attention of Council that there are many problems with the Village Codes.The out dated and poorly written codes are at the core of many of the problems the Village faces today. There are many other issues which have a greater impact on the Residents lives than Garage Sales.
ReplyDeleteThe reason that Council is doing this now is because from 2008-2010 the Village required Residents to get a permit for a Garage Sale. The problem with that is there isn't a law that requires you to get a permit for a Garage Sale. This practice started during Mayor Einsentrout's reign. Passing this now doesn't make it right. The Mayor of Minerva Park can't make rules up as she goes!
The thing about this Ordinance that bothers me the most is to not allow balloons. To me this would indicate that the Village has a problem with balloons hanging from my mailbox. So if I decided to hang colorful balloons from my mailbox everyday or had a seasonal flag at my front door. Would I have to take them down the days of my Garage Sale. Seasonal flags are bigger than 4 square feet. It doesn't make sense to me that you can fly a flag with snowmen or pumpkins all year, but can't have a Garage Sale banner for 3 days.
There are many things about this Ordinance that are ridiculous. To me it represents what I don't like about the Village. I think the Village needs more balloons! We need to celebrate everyday we have on this earth with more balloons, not outlaw them. I think Council needs to be reminded that the Village used to be an Amusement Park, a place where people went to have fun, not a place where all the fun things are going away.
Something I found rather ironic about the balloons being included is that the MPCA-sponsored Garage Sale packet includes balloons for residents mailboxes.
ReplyDeleteThe situation is somewhat different on that particular date, because it distinguishes houses when there is a large number of sales, but it's the same act.
In fact, as far as disturbing the peace goes, that day of sales is a huge disruption to any residents who chose not to partake in the sale because of the amount of traffic on our streets that Saturday. Much more disturbing than a single sale's balloons or streamers.
--Jessica Rhoads
I personally am fine with limits. Who wants to live next to someone who has a garage sale every weekend as a source of income.
ReplyDeleteThe number of people is likely very few, however is that the case? It seems the concern raised is why is the village expending time and resources addressing an issue that likely does not exist when it likely better spent addressing issues that do exist.
DeleteThe garage sale ordinance has been withdrawn.
ReplyDelete