UPDATE: 'Official Business' Parking Placard Abused by Some City Staffers, Residents Contend

has issued 310 “Official Business” parking placards this year, allowing holders to park anywhere in the city for free, provided they are conducting city business.

Weho Patch learned this after city officials provided documents about the use of the placards. A controversy surrounding them developed last week, leaving many residents talking.

One of those concerned residents is Chris Bray, who was shocked to learn the number. “Three hundred and ten permits in a 1.9-square-mile city— that’s just ridiculous,” says Bray, who has lived in Weho for eight years.

The brouhaha over the placards started last week when Weho News reported that  did not return her placard when she vacated her office in March after . Residents have reported seeing both Horvath and her deputy, Ivor Pine, using the placards around town since then.

In an email to the West Hollywood Independent, Horvath denied that she was using the placard for free parking. Horvath said that the permit was expired, that it was now nothing more than “a memento of the time I enjoyed in service to the city.”

Horvath offered to return the placard, if requested, in that email. However city officials said that as of Tuesday, she has not returned it even though they did make that request to her.

A city spokesperson also confirmed to Weho Patch that Horvath’s permit expired on Jan. 31, 2010. The spokesperson reported that Horvath did not submit an application to renew it, even though she remained in office for another 14 months.

That expiration date concerns longtime resident Jimmy Palmieri, who discussed Horvath’s placard on his weekly Internet talk radio show. He wonders what meaning the expiration date really has, whether it is actually enforced, since Horvath was apparently seen using her placard long after January 2010.

“If it wasn’t renewed and was used without incident while Ms. Horvath was still serving as an appointed official,” Palmieri said, “then indeed it could have continued to be used with the same expired date.” 

Just days after the Horvath news, another Official Business placard controversy erupted. Over the weekend, Bray emailed City Hall (and local media), complaining that a neighbor had been using his Official Business placard to park every night for months.

Monday afternoon, city officials issued the following statement:

The employee has both a Residential permit and an Official Business permit. Both permits were displayed in his/her car. The employee was reminded to remove the Official Business permit after completion of his/her duties. Additionally, we will take this opportunity to remind all employees to remove their Official Business permit upon the completion of their duties.

Weho Patch can confirm the city’s statement about the two permits. Sunday night, the car in question had an Official Business placard displayed on the rear-view mirror, but another placard was directly behind it. That second placard was unreadable, but was definitely there (see accompanying photos).

On Monday night, the car in question had only a 1-R residential permit with an expiration date of March 31, 2012, on the rear-view mirror.

Weho Patch has learned that the car is driven by an employee who has worked at City Hall for over 10 years. When Patch contacted the employee for comment, he said it was a “mistake,” that he forgot to take down his Official Business placard.

That explanation does not jive with Bray. “Once or twice is forgetfulness, but this went on for months,” he said.

The employee told Patch that he had not been fined $100, which is the penalty for misuse of a Official Business placard.

A City Hall spokesperson said the employee was not fined because he possesses a valid permit, even if it wasn’t displayed.

“We immediately looked into the complaint and determined that the employee had a valid Residential Parking permit for that location,” said the spokesperson. “Thus, the employee had a legal right to be parked on the street and was not cited by Parking Enforcement.”

That too angers Bray, who pointed out that any residents who forgot to display their parking permits would be ticketed and would probably have little chance of getting the ticket waived on appeal.

“Forgetfulness is not a defense for me not putting up the right permit,” said Bray. “There is a standard for city employees and a standard for everyone else.”

Palmieri also believes a double standard exists. 

“We as citizens have come to expect it from City Hall,” Palmieri said, “but will no longer tolerate it."

The 310 Official Business placards are issued to City Council members and their deputies, commission members, City Hall employees, city park staffers and city contractors. Anyone holding one of these placards, which must be renewed annually, can park free at parking meters, city parking lots or residential streets while performing official city duties.

The placards cannot be used at fire hydrants, red zones, tow-away zones, taxi zones or handicap spaces and can’t be used during street-sweeping hours.

Additionally, City Hall employees cannot use them to park in the vicinity of City Hall, which means they are not allowed to use them to come to work, but if their jobs take them away from City Hall, they can use them then.

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Since this story went to press, Patch has been contacted by former City Councilwoman Lindsey Horvath. 

“For the record, I have received NO requests from ANY City official requesting the expired parking pass back. If City officials are reporting that I haven't responded their requests, they are being untruthful,” Horvath wrote in an email to Patch.

The city sent also sent the following notice in regards to the issue of appealing parking tickets:

 Anyone who feels that he/she should not have received a parking citation is encouraged to contest it. The process and time line to contest a citation is established by the California Vehicle Code (Section 40215) and as a City we must adhere to it. Each contested citation is evaluated on its own merit according to the supporting documentation provided to support the claim. The link to the Parking Division where information on contesting a citation is found is: www.weho.org/parking.