[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6312943,"mediaKeyId","2390183-59b0ea885365ef0327aa4a2ab8e95937","parentId",2390183,"title","Towing operators describe snow‑removal role, lot limits as council reviews complaints","audioSeconds",1134,"startMs",175000,"endMs",1309000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2390183-59b0ea885365ef0327aa4a2ab8e95937&start=175&end=1309","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2390183-59b0ea885365ef0327aa4a2ab8e95937/thumbnail_175000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6312943/Lawrence-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Towing-operators-describe-snowremoval-role-lot-limits-as-council-reviews-complaints","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6312943-2ab5ee092073d50789575519471f7e2d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775186908&Signature=Yz74A8z6ikDW7fyUvs7X-xkabd5~w-GHDyn~4YfyxWKpgQnKXwQuav8SuPK67Qf1Um7uJ2o71aqq~qUtAmGh8HCbTq3IAOhJ~5VCjDKIG2sQ9ab0CKJVf8qVnD5LuXi86gui0mLYI-xEw-4Db6LxcZ31q9Syv80tmqg7P8YkNfm5QvsNaaBbGV2WHZezZwmWlYEmLH~JIu9D5~V7uPZJ3dydUsSfyrDgK8H7JaLnd7sur7bc8zLDOA3dOnHP1dOtBeoX58RBNka5LVffdFKojBHXWsfl6rh26iGfVQRxIXHLxm9LnNIra9xDY5206HuegXf6YbaVxjmfE1nQubbKNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lawrence City, MA","date","2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","article","At a Feb. 25 Lawrence City Public Safety Committee meeting, towing managers told councilors how rotations with the Lawrence Police Department and the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) rules shape who tows vehicles during snow removal and how long vehicles are kept.

The discussion followed councilor complaints about customer service during tows and a request from the committee to invite local towing businesses to explain operations. Councilor Gregory Del Rosario asked company representatives to describe lot capacity, staffing and their role in overnight snow‑removal shifts.

Tricia, a manager at Sheehan's Towing, said tow rates are set by the Department of Public Utilities and not by individual businesses. “We have to go by DPU sets,” she said, and added that towing firms try to work with customers “within the confines of what we have to do.” She estimated her yard could accommodate “probably fit 250, 300” vehicles but added parking is “tight” and staff must shuffle vehicles during storms.

Sean Fountain, a manager for Cody's Towing, told the committee Cody's operates 24 hours, employs roughly “55‑60 employees,” and maintains multiple lots in Lawrence and Methuen. He estimated combined capacity across Cody's two Lawrence properties at about 400 vehicles. Fountain said snow‑removal rotations and safety concerns can constrain how quickly crews can tow and move vehicles: “If the streets are tough to navigate ... we're not moving as fast.”

Both companies said they work on a rotation with other local towers and with state police for light‑duty calls, and both described a coordinated process for snow emergencies. Lieutenant Torella of the Lawrence Police Department explained that during declared snow operations the police and the Department of Public Works (DPW) develop a list of streets to be cleared; traffic control officers accompany tow crews and a police officer must be present to authorize a tow. “The police officer is the only one that can authorize the tow of those vehicles, and he has to be present,” Torella said.

Councilors pressed the companies about tow counts during the recent storms. Estimates given during the meeting varied: Sheehan's manager said, “I think we did around 350 or 375 maybe,” while Cody's staff later said their count for the most recent event was “somewhere between 200 ... maybe 210.” The companies and police agreed that numbers can differ by storm night and by whether multiple storms are counted together.

Councilors also raised complaints that, at times, residents reported their cars were removed but DPW did not subsequently clear the same streets. Companies said that can happen “on occasion” when the DPW cannot reach every street or when conditions make certain streets difficult to navigate; they emphasized they only remove vehicles specifically authorized by DPW or police for plow operations.

The committee took no policy action on towing at the meeting; instead members voted to table the formal agenda item on the city towing list, criteria and procedures for later consideration. Councilor motions and roll calls are listed in the meeting votes at a glance below.

The discussion clarified who authorizes tows and how city, police and towing firms coordinate during snow operations but left outstanding questions for DPW staff—who were not present—about post‑plow follow‑up and street coverage. Committee members asked staff to use this session's comments to inform future conversations with DPW and to gather any outstanding documentation on rotation agreements, lot addresses and formal authorization procedures.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Lawrence City Council | Public Safety Committee | February 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At a Feb. 25 Lawrence City Public Safety Committee meeting, towing managers from Sheehan's and Cody's described how police authorization, DPW lists and DPU rate rules shape snow‑removal tows and vehicle storage.","taxTitle","Lawrence City, Essex County, Massachusetts","taxId",5815,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6312939,"Councilors press for traffic‑signal study after deadly crash at Broadway and Essex in Lawrence City",1317,1638000,2955000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2390183-59b0ea885365ef0327aa4a2ab8e95937&start=1638&end=2955","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2390183-59b0ea885365ef0327aa4a2ab8e95937/thumbnail_1638000.jpg","/articles/6312939/Lawrence-City/Essex-County/Massachusetts/Councilors-press-for-trafficsignal-study-after-deadly-crash-at-Broadway-and-Essex-in-Lawrence-City","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6312939-ce2a40ef0432142165a74a0c3fa47358/orig.mp4?Expires=1775186908&Signature=MrdBZNTDy8j7PqUPGZr6P4avut4c2OVSU~rQ3av6GwKz6rFZ6Ck14FMurLzguMp4MuzgV3AMmUEmI-g~gbVy6~DNMUtfI2q8f0T1HuVg2hwQt8BDbDyItJqJCTyZaXwhZ7h8JLT1nL2QmXejMw9qngadTrPQ525TyQ2TrtIoEVQ74McQPi8tum7u01I4EUiTfML7qxQYeHU7-6qqjwYy6O2~7xLbeqegHF1Ys1joBJIuiJ0MQOEK7jQXGLOpVmHHSjxS9ueeUKIihZJsP65TKaIqnYMjKfQeAG4~4rtjAXbYUv~KKXckkZFBwCPTvfIFoDcZP1JSnubg3AvlUIE~0Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilor Vivian Marmol urged Lawrence City’s Public Safety Committee on Feb. 25 to move a previously tabled traffic signal item forward after residents of Essex Towers raised concerns about crossing Broadway and Essex streets following a recent deadly crash.

Marmol said elderly residents frequently walk to nearby pharmacies and clinics and that some witnesses to the crash reported fearing for pedestrian safety because crosswalk signals and traffic lights change quickly. “If it’s a matter of saving someone’s life, then I think that that should take priority over the inconvenience of sitting at a light for an extra 3 to 5 seconds,” Marmol said.

The committee discussed a measure first proposed by traffic officers to add a brief all‑stop delay—during which both directions show red—so pedestrians can cross and motorists are less likely to enter the intersection as signals change. However, several staff and officers cautioned that signal timing and pedestrian cycle timings are engineered, subject to state guidance and in many cases limited by equipment.

Lieutenant Torella of the Lawrence Police Department told councilors the police department does not have authority to change signal timing and that any change would require a traffic study and traffic‑engineering work: “The Lawrence Police Department does not have the ability or the authority to lengthen a light or to lengthen a push button to 30 seconds,” he said.

Jeff Domenico of the Lawrence Fire Department’s signal division explained the distinction between vehicle traffic timing and pedestrian crosswalk timing and described how pedestrian requests are held until the signal cycle permits a safe, all‑red crossing. He said the equipment in many intersections is aged and noted the city is replacing signals in some locations; he added that retrofits and controller upgrades have costs and can take months for parts and programming.

Councilors discussed interim options such as incremental increases to pedestrian crossing time and installing countdown timers at crosswalks; Jeff Domenico said newer intersections include pedestrian countdowns and that countdowns and additional seconds for crossing are typically determined by an engineering study.

With DPW and the city engineer not present at the meeting, the committee voted to send a formal request for the DPW director and both city engineers to attend the next Public Safety Committee meeting and provide any existing traffic studies, recommended signal timing changes and cost estimates. The motion to send that correspondence was made by Councilor Gregory Del Rosario and seconded by Councilor Anna Levy; the roll call was unanimous.

Committee members said they want technical guidance—an engineer’s recommendation and a cost estimate—so elected officials can weigh pedestrian‑safety improvements against traffic congestion and budget constraints. Several councilors emphasized that even small timing changes could improve safety at busy intersections where seniors and other pedestrians cross frequently.","After residents and Councilor Vivian Marmol raised pedestrian‑safety concerns following a fatal crash at Broadway and Essex, councilors untabled a prior item on signal timing and voted to request DPW and the city engineer provide a traffic‑study update at the next Public Safety Committee meeting.","actionData","errors"]

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Towing operators describe snow‑removal role, lot limits as council reviews complaints

Councilors press for traffic‑signal study after deadly crash at Broadway and Essex in Lawrence City