City Code, ExplainedBetaPardon our dust while we build this out — expect some changes along the way.

This chapter sets the process for creating designated handicapped parking spaces on city streets near a resident's home, and the rules governing who may use them.

Who this affects

Vehicle owners registered in Pottsville who hold a state-issued handicapped or disabled veteran registration plate and want a reserved parking space near their residence; it also governs how the Health Officer, Bureau of Police, and Street Department review, install, and remove these spaces.

Key rules

• An applicant must own a vehicle registered to a City of Pottsville address and have a handicapped or disabled veteran registration plate from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania before applying.
• Applications go to the City Health Officer, who determines whether the applicant needs a space close to their residence for medical or physical necessity, either for themselves or for an immediate family member they live with and primarily care for.
• Approved applications go to the Bureau of Police, which evaluates whether the physical location actually requires the space based on the area's circumstances and available alternative parking.
• The Health Officer and Bureau of Police review each existing sign yearly at renewal to confirm the original circumstances still exist.
• The Health Officer or Chief of Police may deny an application, or may direct the Street Department to remove a sign, if they believe placement is inappropriate, unnecessary, or no longer justified.
• If a sign is approved, the applicant must pay $100 to cover labor and materials for installation.
• A handicapped parking space created under this chapter is not exclusive to the applicant — it may be used by any vehicle lawfully bearing handicapped registration plates or placards.
• Vehicles parked in a handicapped space remain subject to all other applicable parking restrictions for that space or block.
• On one-way roadways, no more than two handicapped spaces may be granted per side of a block; on two-way roadways, no more than three per side, unless the Health Officer or Police Department authorizes more.
• The Police Department may further restrict the number of handicapped spaces on a block, considering block size, other parking restrictions, and availability of off-street parking, to preserve unregulated parking.
• Handicapped spaces that already exceed these numeric limits as of the chapter's effective date may remain, but can be removed if they create a significant parking hardship in the neighborhood or if annual reporting requirements aren't met.
• Sign placement is positioned as close as possible to the applicant's residence given street design; where multiple applicants exceed the permitted number of spaces on a block, the Police Department may place or relocate spaces at the center of the block to serve all applicants collectively.
• The Superintendent of Streets directs all postings, removals, and replacements of handicapped parking signs.
• Complaints about sign placement must be submitted in writing to the Police Department, which must investigate within 90 calendar days and report findings and a recommendation to the Chief of Police, who resolves the complaint as he or she deems just and appropriate.
• Applicants must submit an annual renewal application and pay a $25 renewal fee, verifying the disability continues; the City may request medical records as evidence.
• The Health Office mails renewal applications each January by regular first-class mail; if an applicant fails to submit the renewal and fee by March 15, or is no longer eligible, the Health Officer will direct the Superintendent of Streets to remove the space.
• The applicant is solely responsible for the cost of any state-related applications, filings, and documentation for a placard or registration plate, and the placard or plate must be displayed while the vehicle is parked in the designated space.
• It is unlawful to knowingly and willfully make a false statement to a public official, with intent to deceive, to obtain a handicapped parking space.

Penalties

A person convicted of knowingly and willfully making a false statement, with intent to deceive, to obtain a handicapped parking space shall be fined not more than $1,000.

Notable and archaic details

• The current chapter, adopted in 1997, repealed and replaced an earlier version of the same chapter originally adopted in 1982.
• The chapter allows a handicapped space to be created for the benefit of an applicant's immediate family member, not just the applicant, if the applicant lives with and is the primary care provider for that person.