Fun on the fourth
Get your sparklers and glow necklaces ready, because in this week’s memo, City Manager Tom has some exciting news for you.
“Due to a very successful fundraising campaign, the recreation department is happy to announce that this year’s July 4 celebration will go on,” Tom wrote, clearly giddy.
Activities will start at 5:30 p.m. at Memorial Field with music from WJYY. At 8 p.m., there will be a Never’s Band concert with a fireworks show starting after dusk. A complete event schedule will be available on June 30 at concordnh.gov/recreation.
Tom wanted to thank the following donors for making this year’s celebration possible:
Nassau Broadcasting; Telstar Fireworks; Lincoln Financial Group; Rath; Young and Pignatelli; H.L. Turner Group; American Legion Post 21; Trinity Baptist Church; Hodges Company; Bob Mariano Car Dealerships; D.L.Carlson Investment Group; St. Paul’s School; the Concord Recreation Senior Program; Upton and Hatfield and numerous inpiduals and families.
The rec department has started accepting donations for the 2011 fireworks show. For more information, call 225-8690.
Fines, meters and where not to park
Now that we got the fun news out of the way, let’s talk parking.
The first of many recently approved changes to parking operation will become effective July 1, Tom wrote.
Here’s what the changes mean to you:
1. The fine for an expired meter will increase from $5 to $10.
2. Currently, late fees are charged after five business days. Beginning July 1, the new rate structure will increase the time to pay to 10 business days before the late fee is charged. The new late fee will be double the amount of the violation. A second late fee will be charged after 20 business days.
Ugh, Tom. Don’t you know that reporters aren’t good at math? Maybe an example would help:
“A $10 expired meter citation will increase to $20 if not paid within 10 business days from the date of issuance,” Tom wrote. “This violation will increase again after 20 business days to $40.”
Ahh, we get it.
He added that all parking violations will have the same late fee structure, with the exception of violation for parking in a disabled parking space without a valid disabled permit or placard, which continues to have a $250 fine.
3. Storrs Street, between Theatre Street and South Main Street, will change to a no parking zone. So stop parking there, mmmkay?
You’d think that Tom had gotten his fill of parking talk, but there’s more. He also wrote that the Pay and Display kiosk system is on track for a mid to late August implementation. Once the kiosks arrive, the on-street parking rate will increase to 75 cents per hour while garages will remain at 50 cents per hour.
You’ve been officially warned. Start saving your pennies now.
More things that cost more money
According to Tommy-cakes, also as of July 1, fees for marriage licenses and certified copies of vital records obtained from the City Clerk’s Office will increase.
Marriage licenses will go from $45 to $50 and certified copies of vital records will increase from $12 to $15. Subsequent copies of a given vital record will increase from $8 to $10.
“The increase in these fees will be collected by municipalities throughout the state and submitted to the State of New Hampshire for deposit into the State’s general fund,” Tom wrote.
Oh, and one more thing. “The municipal fee for a marriage ceremony held in the City Clerk’s Office will increase from $30 to $35. This increase will be retained by the City of Concord.”
