Services Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Services Committee met on February 3, 2009, at 1:00 P.M. in the 5th Floor Conference Room, with CM Ellinger presiding. The committee addressed three agenda items during the meeting: a Dog Tethering/Chaining Update, a Virtual Fake Speed Humps Update, and a Door-to-Door Peddlers Update. Two of the items—the Dog Tethering/Chaining Update and the Door-to-Door Peddlers Update—were deferred for further consideration, while the Virtual Fake Speed Humps Update was presented as informational. The committee took one motion and vote during the meeting and heard three public comments from members of the public.

Attendance

Present: Ellinger, Beard, Crosbie, McChord, Blevins, Henson, Lane, Stinnett, Feigl, Lawless

Absent: Myers, Martin

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

The Services Committee took one action during this meeting:

Motion to Adjourn

Beard moved to adjourn the Services Committee meeting. The motion passed by voice vote 25:13. No roll call vote was conducted for this motion.

Public Comment

Three members of the public addressed the meeting with concerns on two separate topics.

Virtual Speed Humps

Ms. Feigl 12:07 suggested that virtual speed humps could serve as a low-cost reminder to slow down in neighborhoods with minimal through traffic. She acknowledged concerns about effectiveness once drivers realize the humps are not physical obstacles.

Ms. Lawless 13:57 raised a related concern about the psychological effect of virtual speed humps. She suggested that people may actually speed through virtual humps faster after feeling tricked, as the illusion of a physical obstacle breaks down upon repeated exposure.

Contractors During Ice Storm

Mr. Beard 22:39 recalled the 2003 ice storm when out-of-town contractors flooded the area. He raised concerns about verifying the legitimacy, insurance, and bonding of these contractors despite existing licensing requirements.

Appointments

The following appointments were made during this meeting:

• Henson was appointed to the Dog Tethering Subcommittee
• Lawless was appointed to the Dog Tethering Subcommittee

Contested Items

Enforcement of 'No Solicitation' Signs

A procedural dispute arose regarding the enforceability of neighborhood "No Solicitation" signs in preventing door-to-door peddlers. The disagreement centered on whether such signs alone are sufficient legal grounds to prohibit solicitation activities and whether violators could be cited under criminal trespass statutes.

The group determined that a legal opinion would be needed to clarify the enforceability of these signs and to establish what citation authority, if any, could be applied to individuals who solicit despite posted warnings. This matter remained unresolved pending legal review.

Dog Tethering/Chaining Update

0:00

Councilmember Beard provided an update on the subcommittee meeting held on January 22, 2009. The subcommittee unanimously decided to focus exclusively on anti-tethering legislation rather than expanding the scope to include kenneling rules.

A new draft of the proposed legislation was received from Keith Horn. The subcommittee has scheduled a follow-up meeting for February 12 at 3:00 PM. This upcoming meeting will include expanded subcommittee membership.

The outcome of this agenda item was deferred, with further discussion anticipated at the February 12 meeting.

Virtual Fake Speed Humps Update

Brad Frazier of Traffic Engineering presented findings from a test of virtual speed humps conducted in Philadelphia 5:00. Virtual speed humps are painted illusions designed to appear as physical traffic calming devices.

Presentation Findings

The test results showed that virtual speed humps were ineffective at achieving traffic calming goals. Drivers initially responded to the painted illusions, but once they realized the humps were not physical obstacles, the traffic calming effect ceased entirely. The study demonstrated a zero success rate for this approach.

Recommendation

Based on these findings, Frazier recommended against using virtual speed humps independently as a traffic calming measure. The presentation concluded that this method should not be relied upon as a standalone solution for managing vehicle speeds.

Outcome

This agenda item was presented for informational purposes.

Door-to-Door Peddlers Update

14:28

Lieutenant Curtsinger reported on door-to-door peddler enforcement activity for 2008. The department issued only 17 citations for peddler license violations during the year. Curtsinger noted that the majority of calls received were related to suspicious activity rather than actual sales violations.

The committee discussed enforcement challenges related to "No Solicitation" signs. Members expressed uncertainty about the legal enforceability of these signs under the current ordinance. In response, the committee agreed to request a legal opinion on whether "No Solicitation" signs can be effectively used to prevent door-to-door solicitation.

An important clarification emerged during the discussion: the committee confirmed that nonprofit groups, specifically citing Girl Scouts as an example, are not subject to the peddler license ordinance and therefore do not require licenses to conduct door-to-door activities.

Key speakers in this discussion included Curtsinger, Stinnett, and Crosby.

The agenda item was deferred, indicating that further action or discussion on this matter was postponed pending additional information or legal guidance.