PA – Gettysburg noise ordinance
FRED SNYDER: “Let’s talk a little bit about noise. That has been an issue over the years. There was and probably still is somewhere in the stack of ordinances a proposal to impose a noise ordinance. I haven’t heard much about that recently, of course it’s winter and it’s quiet downtown. Your feeling on that, and where is it, do you know?”
DICK PETERSON: “We have the ordinance about ready to go. The problem with the noise ordinance is enforcing it, and how to do that. There are different ways that different communities enforce noise ordinances, and some of it is based on decibels. You have to have a decibel meter to do it, which is a hassle. The other thing is when the bikers are in town. There are only a few bikers that do it, but they take the mufflers off and it sounds like the world is coming to an end. Police – we only have so many police in our police department to haul some of these guys and tell them that they have to put those mufflers back on. Trying to do that is an impossible chore, when you have 10 thousand people in town at the same time, trying to get that ordinance taken care of.”
FRED SNYDER: “I think you ought to point out Dick that, you mentioned
the biker thing, but with some of these trucks that come through town,
if you’re going to do decibels, they are as loud as the bikes.”
DICK PETERSON: “Absolutely. I was just pointing out that there is a guy that passes my house – - – I take my dogs out early – - – at 5:15 in the morning, and there’s a guy that has a little Pontiac sportscar, but he goes through town, and he doesn’t have a muffler, and it shakes the entire house. But he’s there every morning at 5:15, so I told the chief about it. I know it’s been sort of quiet lately, so they might have found him. That’s the type of thing that happens.”
FRED SNYDER: “It has to be aimed at more than just bikers. It has to be the cars, without mufflers, the trucks, and everything else.”
DICK PETERSON: “Absolutely.”
www.gettysburgtimes.com/articles/2009/12/15/blogs/doc4b27aab5b535b878632
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TRANSCRIPT: 12/15/09 – Gettysburg Borough Council President Dick Peterson’s exit interview on 1320 WGET
Peterson reflects upon his seven years on the board, with WGET host Fred Snyder.
FRED SNYDER: “It is the Breakfast Nook.it is the morning after (Gettysburg) Borough Council and I always like to bring in a council person to talk about what transpired the night before. It is our Gettysburg Borough Show. My guest this morning is the president of council, at least for 16 more days: Dick Peterson. You are.I don’t want to use the word lame duck.but time is getting a little tight for you. We’re going to talk about your tenure on council. Are you glad to be leaving?”
DICK PETERSON: “Well, it’s mixed emotions. Obviously, I’ll be happy to get some more relaxation. I didn’t expect the amount of work that came with the job. When you get into it, it’s a lot of work. It’s almost like having a job, it really is. So from that standpoint, I won’t miss it. I’ll miss the people of course. But it’s not like I won’t see them. I’m not leaving town or anything like that. I’ll miss being on the inside of all the goodies that are going on in town.”
FRED SNYDER: “You mentioned that it takes a lot of time. We have several people on council who are retired.who use council as their job, and you have others that have jobs. In your mind, do you think the people who are not working, is it good for council that they can put the time into it rather than part-time council people?”
DICK PETERSON: “There are advantages to both. On this present council, we have three or four people, it’s like their job. It’s wonderful to have them, because they’re hard-working people. They do all the detailed work on the council (Councilman) Bob Krummerich, who is our fine finance (committee chairman), he works for a living, and he obviously can’t spend as much time that John Butterfield or Susan Naugle can spend, but they contribute. It’s in the case of Krummerich, he spends all the time he can with the council. He doesn’t have a lot of free time. So I think it’s nice to have a mixture. It’s nice to have the people that face the reality of life everyday too opposed to the people that spend their time at home.
FRED SNYDER: “You have been on council for seven years. In those seven years, has there been anything that has stuck out in your mind? There have been a lot of accomplishments, and a lot of disappointments as well, especially if you look at the situation in regards to a tax increase. Give me.the highlights of your time on council.”
DICK PETERSON: “There’s really quite a few things that I can look at in the rearview mirror. Probably the most divisive thing that happened was the casino. That split everyone asunder. It wasn’t just the council that was split, the whole community was split on the issue. That was something that I think we were all glad when it was over, and we all came out somewhat scarred with bandages. The other things that happened were the Majestic Theater opening and the Wills House and the Train Station and the partnerships. I think the most important thing that
happened was the partnerships that we established with the community, with the Seminary, with the college, with the Park Service, the Hospital.the whole thing was wonderful, we were working together, and making this town a better place to live.”
FRED SNYDER: “One of the major divisive issues you had to deal with was the police matter, with regard to the police chief and one of the officers. How did that fare among council people? Did it cause any divisiveness?”
DICK PETERSON: “No, not really. I think we all were pretty much on the same page on that particular issue. It really wasn’t a divisive issue at all.”
FRED SNYDER: “It cost you.”
DICK PETERSON: “Oh yeah, lawyer’s cost money. We certainly had our share of that. The (Sgt. Sharon) Gelwicks case was certainly divisive.I think the council was pretty much altogether on some of these divisive issues. The only (issue) that wasn’t was the casino, and that was a different council. These last two councils were very different. The first council with Bill Monahan and Ted (Streeter), and myself and John Murphy, was a visionary council. They saw the things that could happen to the community, and the foresight of what could happen with restored buildings, like the Majestic. They did a lot to implement them. This present council is more of a nitty-gritty council, where they get into more of the hard work, and they have the ability to straighten out things that really needed changed from years past, like recycling and the ordinances and the sign (code). They have really gotten into it, and it’s tremendous to see how hard they work.”
FRED SNYDER: “I’m going to throw out a few things to you, and I want you to give me your reaction. First of all, the REDDI project. That went into a stall factor. Do you think that will ever happen?”
DICK PETERSON: “Your guess is as good as mine on that. Someday it will happen. I really do feel that someday it will happen. When and how, I can’t give you an answer.”
FRED SNYDER: “The sign ordinance – - – even that came up last night. It’s my understanding that there was some back-and-forth (banter) on that. Are you satisfied with the language the way it sits?”
DICK PETERSON: “I’m satisfied with the language, the way it sits, but you know, all of these ordinances, everyone gets excited about them. I know Gene Golden is very excited about some of the aspects of the sign ordinance, but the fact of the matter is, it’s never a complete work. Once we pass the ordinance, we can always makes changes, if we see that things aren’t working well in some area. Nothing is written in stone on these ordinances.”
FRED SNYDER: “I think the subject came up, and maybe a change with the discharge of firearms, with veterans. That’s one thing that could be amended, isn’t it?”
DICK PETERSON: “Absolutely, we can make it an exception to the rule. If we want to say that veterans don’t have to pay for this, we can do this.”
FRED SNYDER: “Let’s talk a little bit about noise. That has been an issue over the years. There was and probably still is somewhere in the stack of ordinances a proposal to impose a noise ordinance. I haven’t heard much about that recently, of course it’s winter and it’s quiet downtown. Your feeling on that, and where is it, do you know?”
DICK PETERSON: “We have the ordinance about ready to go. The problem with the noise ordinance is enforcing it, and how to do that. There are different ways that different communities enforce noise ordinances, and some of it is based on decibels. You have to have a decibel meter to do it, which is a hassle. The other thing is when the bikers are in town. There are only a few bikers that do it, but they take the mufflers off and it sounds like the world is coming to an end. Police – we only have so many police in our police department to haul some of these guys and tell them that they have to put those mufflers back on. Trying to do
that is an impossible chore, when you have 10 thousand people in town at the same time, trying to get that ordinance taken care of.”
FRED SNYDER: “I think you ought to point out Dick that, you mentioned the biker thing, but with some of these trucks that come through town, if you’re going to do decibels, they are as loud as the bikes.”
DICK PETERSON: “Absolutely. I was just pointing out that there is a guy that passes my house – - – I take my dogs out early – - – at 5:15 in the morning, and there’s a guy that has a little Pontiac sportscar, but he goes through town, and he doesn’t have a muffler, and it shakes the entire house. But he’s there every morning at 5:15, so I told the chief about it. I know it’s been sort of quiet lately, so they might have found him. That’s the type of thing that happens.”
FRED SNYDER: “It has to be aimed at more than just bikers. It has to be the cars, without mufflers, the trucks, and everything else.”
DICK PETERSON: “Absolutely.”
FRED SNYDER: “The Lincoln statue, do you have room in your backyard for that thing?”
DICK PETERSON: “I have a lot of room in my backyard, although I don’t think they really want it there. We’ve had offers to that effect.”
FRED SNYDER: laughs – “I mean, it’s like, Lincoln is coming to town, but he has no place to go.”
DICK PETERSON: “That’s where it’s at right now. It’s sort of in the hands of the school district right now, and we’re trying to work out something with them. They have a new board coming in, so we’ll be making a presentation to them shortly. The statue is magnificent. A lot of people have thought, well it’s nine-feet high and it’s going to have a big wall behind it. None of those things are true. It’s strictly a statue, and it’s a wonderful statue of Lincoln, with his arm raised, holding the Gettysburg Address and it’s extremely well done. This guy (Utah sculptor Stan Watts) is a real pro.”
FRED SNYDER: “Is it set on a pedestal or anything?”
DICK PETERSON: “Yeah, it will set on a pedestal and be raised.”
FRED SNYDER: “Who cleans the bird poop off? I mean, maintenance is an issue.”
DICK PETERSON: “Well, we’ve agreed to take care of that.”
FRED SNYDER: “OK, on that note – - – on the bird poop – - – we’re going to take a break here. When we come back after the break, I want to talk about (Manager) John Lawver. I want to talk about another issue that could change the complexion of the entire community. We’re going to talk about taxes, and where you think the borough is going down the road. Dick Peterson is my guest this morning – the borough council president. Time is getting a little tight for him. What is it, 16 more days?”
DICK PETERSON: “That’s about it.”
FRED SNYDER: “Then the fat lady sings. We’ll be right back. Don’t go away.”
FRED SNYDER: “Welcome back to the Gettysburg Borough Show, with President Dick Peterson. He finishes up his term on council in two weeks. Dick, I want to talk about an issue that could change the complexion of our community very radically. A couple of years ago, a mean-spirited person came to town, and it wasn’t the Grinch, and began piling suits against various stores and businesses, because they didn’t comply with the ADA (law). Now, it’s my feeling and after researching it a bit, the law wasn’t designed to be used as a weapon. In this case, it obviously is. How bad do you think this will affect our community?”
DICK PETERSON: “It’s already affected (the town) to a great degree. This lady (Marilynn Phillips) certainly has the right to do what she does, and we have to sit up and pay attention.we live in an historic town, and I think for the most part, people don’t want to see ramps all over the town. There are other ways that we can do this, and we’re going to try and go with that. My disappointment with the whole thing is that the state of Pennsylvania, the PHRC, has done very little to help us. We have to find answers to places where, historic homes and the historic ambiance of the community isn’t affected by all of these things. It’s a problem that’s midway in between, we’re addressing the problems with the curb cuts and the streets, and what remains are the businesses, the downtown businesses particularly. It’s so difficult because every situation down there is different.”
FRED SNYDER: “I know there are some business and shop owners who are extremely frustrated. At least on or two have told me that if I have to pay this, it’s really not worth it to me.”
DICK PETERSON: “That’s right. That’s something that we have to try to find answers for. It’s been slow in its progression. (Manager) John Lawver has done absolutely a magnificent job in addressing some of these (ADA) problems. We are finding some answers here and there, but it’s a long haul. It’s a long road.”
FRED SNYDER: “Let’s talk a little bit about John Lawver. John took over the job after the late Charlie Sterner resigned and passed on. Your evaluation of John?”
DICK PETERSON: “I just think this guy is the greatest. (Borough Finance Director) Ramona Overton said it last night – - – she said, you know, John when you first came on board, I had my doubts. Here’s this highway guy coming in, what’s he know about the borough? Well, Mr. Lawver showed everybody what he knows about the borough, and how fast he can learn. He’s a very intelligent guy. He has done a lot of work. He has received the accolades from everyone on council. When he gives you an answer, you may not like what he’s saying, but he’s always forthright in whatever he assesses. He’s a good man.”
FRED SNYDER: “He’s one of the hard-working individuals at Borough Hall, and he takes a lot of flak. Another one, is Police Chief Joe Dougherty. I think he has done a magnificent job on trying to pull together a police department that was literally torn after the police matter a couple of years ago.”
DICK PETERSON: “He’s got a good grasp on the entire department. The guys like him a great deal too.”
FRED SNYDER: “We couldn’t leave without talking about the tax situation. You’re raising taxes another mill. What’s that bring it up to?”
DICK PETERSON: “Now, it’s 15.38 (mills).”
FRED SNYDER: “Just half the borough pays taxes, isn’t that the way it works?”
DICK PETERSON: “Yeah, about 53 percent of the borough is un-taxable. We have the college, the hospital.”
FRED SNYDER: “You know, I read an interesting Letter to the Editor last week about how much the college does contribute in taxes.”
DICK PETERSON: “They do – also the hospital.”
FRED SNYDER: “I felt it was important that the word got out there. It’s not like they’re getting a free ride.”
DICK PETERSON: “It’s on their own volition. There are many colleges in many towns where the college doesn’t give a nickel to the (municipality). We’re very fortunate, that we have partnerships with these people. They have done their best to give us what we need.”
FRED SNYDER: “Is there any end to this?”
DICK PETERSON: “You mean taxes? I think there is, because we’re getting a hold of this. I would not be.I’m not going to say that it’s going to happen, because I’ll get killed for it.but it would not surprise me that if next year, taxes would even come down a little.”
FRED SNYDER: “We’re just about out of time. Was there anything you would have liked to have done on council that didn’t get done, other than taxes?”
DICK PETERSON: “I think things are on their way. The Steinwehr Avenue project is magnificent – I just want to really see that happen. I wanted to see that happen back when I was on Steinwehr Avenue. The Journey Through Hallowed Ground is something that people just don’t realize how big it is for our community. We are the anchor point at one end of the journey from here to Charlottesville, Va. There are battlefields and attractions all over this road, and it will have a big influence on Gettysburg.”
FRED SNYDER: “Is your wife Pauline warming up the recliner for you? Are
you going to kick back and say, I’m done with this?”
DICK PETERSON: “Listen, she’s still teaching school. She’s amazing. I read an article in the Florida paper that they were giving a woman accolades because she’s 72-years-old and still teaching. Well, Pauline is older than that.”
FRED SNYDER: laughs – “And she’s still teaching, eh? She’s not going to let you lay around then. Do you have any projects you’re going to be working on?”
DICK PETERSON: “I have some writing I want to do, and some other projects.”
FRED SNYDER: “What do you hope for the borough?”
DICK PETERSON: “I love this town. I came here because I loved it, and I’ll continue to love it. I just hope that everything goes well for the people in the community. There are people who are hurting in this town, and I’d like to see those people help.”
FRED SNYDER: “Dick, best of luck and Godspeed.”
DICK PETERSON: “Thank you, Fred.”
FRED SNYDER: “I know you didn’t want the job, as president.”
DICK PETERSON: “Not initially. It wasn’t my cup of tea, but I sort of grew into it.”
FRED SNYDER: “Thank you so much. Dick Peterson, the outgoing president of Borough Council. Just a couple of weeks left, and then he’ll be leaving council. That does it for the Breakfast Nook – - – we’ll be right back.”
~ Submitted by: Scot A. Pitzer, Times Staff Reporter
Reader comments are encouraged. Contact Scot Pitzer directly at
spitzer@gburgtimes.com.
