Street-sweep city

Alan Welch is a disabled Vietnam veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other afflictions such as heartbeat and heart-valve problems, breathing difficulty, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

In October, Welch filed a suit against the city in Superior Court, complaining that he had been ticketed four times for parking in a disabled space during street-sweeping times, which were from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m on Tuesday and Thursday in the part of town he was in. Although one $52.50 ticket was reversed on appeal, Welch says he is bringing the suit to force the city to cease ticketing disabled individuals who park during street-sweeping periods.

"The City is discriminating against individuals such as Alan Welch by requiring him to move his vehicle when it is not physically possible for him to do so and when there are no alternative parking spaces available," says the suit.

The city must "reasonably modify" its policies by providing alternative handicap parking during street-sweeping hours, says the suit, which was moved to federal court in late November. On December 2, the city asked for dismissal of the suit.