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Q: How to look up local laws ( Answered,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: How to look up local laws
Category: Relationships and Society > Law
Asked by: bananadine-ga
List Price: $5.50
Posted: 17 Sep 2004 18:20 PDT
Expires: 17 Oct 2004 18:20 PDT
Question ID: 402742
I live in an apartment building next to a somewhat busy street, and
lately I've been awakened at around 4:00 AM, a few times per week, by
a ridiculously loud streetsweeping truck.  I think it's the loudest
street vehicle I've ever encountered, and there is no location in my
apartment where the sound of it (an overpowering hum that fades in and
out for half a minute at a time) isn't loud enough to wake me up.  It
seems to me that there are rules against that sort of
thing--"disturbing the peace" laws and so forth.  But I don't have a
clue what they are.  Can you tell me?  (You'll probably need to know
that I live in West Chester, Pennsylvania.)

More generally, how does one find out about things like that?  I have
a vague impression that there are all manner of laws that ostensibly
govern the behavior of me and the people around me, but no one has
ever explained to me how to determine the specifics of what they
are--I can make assumptions about things like theft and murder of
course, but that only goes so far.  What methods are available, for a
regular fella like me, for finding out what local and federal laws
apply in the place where I live?

(As you may gather, this question is motivated by general curiosity as
much as by the matter of the streetsweeper.  But if a solution to that
problem happens to come up as a result, I'd sure sleep more easily.)
Answer  
Subject: Re: How to look up local laws
Answered By: nenna-ga on 21 Sep 2004 14:49 PDT
 
Good afternoon bananadine-ga!

Thank you for allowing me to answer this question for you.  In
researching the city codes of West Chester, Pennsylvania pertianing to
noise ordinances, I have found the following information for you:

CODE OF WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA
PART II GENERAL LEGISLATION
Chapter 73, NOISE DISTURBANCE

§ 73-3. Prohibited acts.

(2)No person shall operate or permit the operation of any tools or
equipment used on construction operations, drilling or demolition or
other work or in the sweeping of parking lots in areas adjacent to
residential districts between the hours of 9:00 p.m. of one day and
7:00 a.m. of the following day on weekdays and Saturdays or at any
time on Sundays or legal holidays such that the sound therefrom causes
a noise disturbance.

SOURCE:  PC Codebook
http://gcp.esub.net/cgi-bin/om_isapi.dll?clientID=132882&infobase=wchester.nfo&softpage=Browse_Frame_Pg42

=========================

STREETS

West Chester Borough operates an extensive street sweeping program to
maintain a clean appearance for the town. Certain sides of the streets
have restricted parking on designated days/times to allow for
efficient street sweeping and other public services. Generally areas
north of Market Street are swept on Mondays and Tuesdays while areas
south of Market Street are swept on Wednesdays and Thursdays with the
central business district being swept nightly. Parking is normally
restricted in these areas from 2 AM to 5 AM and from 8 AM to 11 AM.
Check the restricted parking signage on your block and please be sure
to have your vehicle moved during these times.

The street sweeper is vacuum powered. It can collect dirt, gravel,
litter or small amounts leaves or grass clippings, which can pass
under the vacuum head.

The sweeper cannot handle garden debris, vines, sticks or brush, as
these materials will clog the intakes and damage the machinery. These
materials should be bundled and placed out for trash collection.

Large piles of grass clippings should be properly contained and placed
out for trash collection.

For more information regarding the borough's street sweeping program
and collection routes, contact Public Works at 696-5282.

CONTACT US

Department of Public Works
Borough of West Chester Phone: (610) 696-5282
205 Lacey Street Fax: (610) 436-1383
West Chester, PA 19382 E-mail: publicworks@west-chester.com

=========================

To file a noise complaint, you may contact the West Chester Police
Non-Emergency line at (610) 696-2700 or write one of the following
council members:

William J. Scott, President of Council, First Ward (Democrat)

405 N. Franklin Street
Tel: (610) 436-4644
mailto:Ward1Scott@aol.com
Term to expire January 2006

Barbara McIlvaine Smith, Vice President of Council, Fifth Ward (Democrat)

525 Sharpless Street
Tel: (610) 429-3132
mailto:barb@smith156.org
Term to expire January 2006

Stephen E. Bond, Council Member, Second Ward (Republican)

519 E. Barnard Street
Tel: (610) 436-5367
mailto:sbond519@yahoo.com
Term to expire January 2008

H. Paul Fitzpatrick, Council Member, Sixth Ward (Democrat)

31 W. Barnard Street
Tel: (610) 696-4020
mailto:paul&judy@dplus.net
Term to expire January 2004

Andrew E. McIntyre Council Member, Third Ward (Democrat)

218 Price Street
Tel: (610) 431-9731
mailto:Greencelt1@earthlink.com
Term to expire January 2006

Suzan L. Bayne, Council Member, Fourth Ward (Democrat)

726 South Penn Street
Tel: (610) 429-4306
mailto:sueb2001@att.net
Term to expire January 2008

Maria M. Chesterton, Esq., Council Member, Seventh Ward (Democrat)

230 W. Lafayette Street
Tel: (610) 701-4362
mailto:Maria.Chesterton@Verizon.net
Term to expire January 2006

=========================

"What methods are available, for a regular fella like me, for finding
out what local and federal laws apply in the place where I live?"

I have listed below a few internet web sites that can help the
"average joe" familiarize themselves with the law.

For city & state codes and statutes:

American Law Source On-Line
( http://www.lawsource.com/also/ )

GPO Access
(http://www.gpoaccess.gov/)

Law Library of Congress
(http://www.loc.gov/law/guide/)

For citations and caselaw/opinions:

LexisOne.com (this site you must register for but is free)
(http://www.lexisone.com)

Findlaw.com - Case Crawler
(http://lawcrawler.findlaw.com)

I hope this information is useful and that you can finally get a
better nights rest!  Should this answer require a further explanation,
please request clarification before rating it, and I will be happy to
look into this further.

Nenna-GA 
Google Answers Researcher

Google Search Terms:  city codes, Pennsylvania, west chester,
complaint, noise ordinance.
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