2/ 3 of valet companies ignoring regulations

Valet parkers are still thumbing their noses at city regulation despite countless efforts over the years to crack the whip and rein in chronic abuses, a top mayoral aide said Tuesday.

Maria Guerra Lapacek, commissioner of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, said an eyepopping two- thirds of the 388 valet operators investigated by the city recently were not in compliance with off- street parking mandates and other city regulations.

The investigation triggered roughly $ 300,000 in fines, 2,500 administrative notices of violation and 73 “removal orders to cease and desist” valet operations, the commissioner said.

On the hot seat at City Council budget hearings, Guerra Lapacek said it may be time to tighten the noose on valet operators once again.

“For example, the number of off- street parking requirements. Maybe that could get increased to stop the flow of vehicles on the street. Or changing some of the structure of the licensing so thatwe could have better control,” Guerra Lapacek said.

“One of the problemswe see in the valet world is similar to what we see in the tobacco world. The flipping. The constant [ turnover]. Somebody goes out of business. Someone new comes into business. . . . That’s a harder thing for us to stop.”

Cigarette sale crackdown

Also at Tuesday’s budget hearing, African- American aldermen renewed their perennial complaints about the black- market sale of loose cigarettes and the crime that comes with it.

They were not appeased when Guerra Lapacek reported that she had a “very good handle” on the problem with six full- time investigators who have confiscated over 60,000 packs of unstamped cigarettes this year alone. Ald. Michael Scott Jr. demanded new and more creative solutions to “move them off of these corners and move them from in front of these businesses.”

Aldermen eye license abuses

Aldermen also demanded more inspectors at night and on weekends to crack down on rampant night- life abuses that include applying for a public place of amusement ( PPA) license to get around liquor license moratoriums.

“That PPA license then effectively turns the restaurant into a nightclub or tavern which is a really big loophole around these moratorium zones we established to protect our constituents quality of life,” Ald. Brendan Reilly said.