[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6079271,"mediaKeyId","2956157-6909ebdc28f4c6701361203be39efb26","parentId",2956157,"title","Medford parking director details license-plate reader use; council seeks clearer retention and access rules","audioSeconds",363,"startMs",137000,"endMs",500000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2956157-6909ebdc28f4c6701361203be39efb26&start=137&end=500","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2956157-6909ebdc28f4c6701361203be39efb26/thumbnail_137000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6079271/Medford-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Medford-parking-director-details-license-plate-reader-use-council-seeks-clearer-retention-and-access-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6079271-51751a89ca7d47d4205675c0af1ae88d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170441&Signature=D0OZaH~lIxams242-eJnJN4Tbi~BcLlFLm-vODmnPoR4~mv-IEnLe-XDd4xVAWWktgUsLbQ5rDR3KRyH2aGmxBteO9rfyeuLfim4i-4izZJOExBvCTodD-SwlfDFEqtzCzRnHzgdozBXoP2hchoA9lMVCwOMgs4JdM21bl4w6zd-3SQZa60pXhC2m12M4VHfoG5EItKfo6Jpd91NGbsTNVGlJWmM~s2ahFw4lo-XJIn2UvhPvJDFAkm13JZIoLLNoRdPXIkP4IyL7wu6L87UZqW2BtOpFep4ulZ9k35-LN8bAR9LqM42Dsiccv04ZkQ4DPpFi12X6sPt-K1uYmrUjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Medford City, MA","date","2025-04-08T00:00:00Z","article","Medford City \u0014 At a Committee of the Whole meeting on April 8, the Medford City Council reviewed the Parking Department's impact report and use policy for automatic license-plate recognition technology (ALPRs). Parking Director Sarah McDermott told councilors the department operates two vehicles equipped with license-plate recognition cameras used primarily to enforce permit and restricted-parking rules.

Why it matters: The city's review was carried out under the Community Control Over Public Surveillance ordinance adopted in 2023 and is the first time the Parking Department's ALPR materials have come before the council. Councilors pressed for clearer records-retention limits, stronger contractual guarantees from private vendors, and an explicit prohibition on sharing ALPR data outside the city.

McDermott said the ALPR cameras read license-plate text and combine plate data with GPS coordinates to determine whether a vehicle is parked legally. She said permits in Medford are tied to license plates rather than physical stickers and that the system is used citywide but primarily on permitted streets. \"The cameras are designed to read text primarily, so it will read the plate,\" she said, describing how the permit-linked enforcement works.

McDermott provided several operational details: her office has two ALPR-equipped vehicles; the system was placed into service in early July 2024; the total cost in the original quote spread over three years is $145,547.09; and the department has recovered more than $70,000 in citation revenue attributed to ALPR enforcement since deployment.

On data handling, McDermott said vendor messages indicated that non-citation data would be \"dumped\" after 30 days, but she also said the city's command-center database still shows every hit since deployment. She told councilors the Medford Police Department currently has no access to ALPR-collected data and that prior administrative credentials that granted police broader access had been removed.

Councilors pressed for specific changes to the use policy. Vice President Collins and others asked for: (1) a clear, written retention period for non-citation ALPR data in the city's use policy; (2) an explicit statement that the city will not share ALPR access with other agencies or private entities; and (3) a contractual or annual confirmation from vendors that they are not selling or otherwise sharing city-captured data. McDermott agreed the policy could be updated quickly and said she would submit amendments to be included in the city's annual surveillance report.

Public commenter Barry Ingram of Draper Street, speaking on civil-rights concerns, warned that \"the tracking of vehicles can be used to track people and has been used to track people,\" and urged deletion of non-citation data when there is no enforcement reason to retain it.

The committee voted to receive and place on file the Parking Department's ALPR impact report and use policy, with the understanding that the director will supply the requested clarifying amendments on retention and vendor assurances. The motion, made by Councilor Scarpelli and seconded by Councilor Singh, passed 7-0 (Councilors Callahan, Lazaro, Lemming, Scarpelli, Singh and President Barris and Vice President Collins voted yes).

What the council directed next: staff will update the use policy to specify a retention schedule for non-citation data, add affirmative language prohibiting sharing access, and pursue written confirmations from vendors about data-handling and third-party access. The updated policy will be included in the city's annual surveillance reporting.

Medford officials did not adopt an ordinance change at the meeting; they accepted the report and requested the policy amendments and vendor confirmations for the record.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Medford City Council Committee of the Whole 04/08/25","oneSentenceSummary","At a Committee of the Whole meeting on April 8, the Medford City Council reviewed the Parking Department's impact report and use policy for automatic license-plate recognition technology (ALPRs).","taxTitle","Medford City, Middlesex County, Massachusetts","taxId",5091,"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},6079262,"Committee reports out ordinance to reserve rear City Hall parking for employees; council approves 7-0 to move forward",1298,2428000,3726000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2956157-6909ebdc28f4c6701361203be39efb26&start=2428&end=3726","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2956157-6909ebdc28f4c6701361203be39efb26/thumbnail_2428000.jpg","/articles/6079262/Medford-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Committee-reports-out-ordinance-to-reserve-rear-City-Hall-parking-for-employees-council-approves-7-0-to-move-forward","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6079262-ddf47efe462f9b1360da82bd3adde18c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170441&Signature=jOUtXMrBDC2rL5rkH~lhBg20q11sjVIJioyVDrORmwBzFJZQY3OTG76C-QfLt4qhWakR0wELR3O~KOZ3amr~thioEvsfsvzBpyZ-FUeuHN3~tOe4zcUdPfAB6tMbvTQOCYUonGED-s0aX~OZdSO6Sym0fXTBL06Uflb10o4luLaJF~AR52y89J0qGFT6rTNcVoZNdjRemTTCHDUO0gJZYL~xMSHmNS3B2aYVBqJqYjDYZaf6Q7lXPJTjqPd2vuEstXFVJkbHF8QAiz3rIAg9LPBvG0YpYM0nt4TyrDVd6iKfWc3cCfnilPsMo6MTXR6UPl6WkmF8PhnnLaxgQ3HI2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Medford City \u0014 On April 8 the Committee of the Whole voted to report out a proposed ordinance change to reserve the rear parking area at Medford City Hall for municipal employees during City Hall hours. The committee sent the proposal to full council by a 7-0 vote.

Why it matters: The administration proposed the change after the city discovered potential excavation work in an overflow commuter lot used by employees; officials said reserving the rear lot would ensure employees have reliable access to parking during business hours. Councilors asked for communication plans and a warning period before enforcement begins.

The proposed amendment, as described in committee, would repeal the visitor-parking allowance for the lot directly behind City Hall and make most rear spaces available only to City Hall employees during City Hall hours. Exceptions named in committee were electric-vehicle charging spaces, handicap-accessible spaces, and the veteran's parking space, which would remain open to qualifying visitors. The director said the lot contains roughly 96 spaces (including four handicapped spaces) and that the employee-only restriction would apply during business hours (described in committee as the City Hall schedule: generally 8:30 a.m. through late afternoon with slightly different Wednesday and Friday hours).

Councilor Lazaro asked whether the number of employee-commuters matches available spaces; staff did not provide a precise count of employees who park at City Hall, and the director said she would look into that. Councilors requested a 30-day communication period and several weeks of warning before citations would be issued when the employee-only restriction is enforced; the director said the department plans two weeks of warnings after an initial public-notice period and would avoid immediately issuing tickets the first day enforcement begins.

The committee approved the motion to report out the repeal of the ordinance (motion by Councilor Scarpelli, seconded by Councilor Singh). The motion passed 7-0 (Councilors Callahan, Lazaro, Lemming, Scarpelli, Singh and President Barris and Vice President Collins voted yes). The repeal will be scheduled for full council consideration at the April 29 meeting, staff said.

Next steps: The parking director will prepare communications for employees and the public, give a warning period before enforcement, and provide any requested employee parking counts to councilors before the full council meeting.","The Committee of the Whole voted to report out a proposed repeal that would designate the parking area behind Medford City Hall for municipal employees during business hours, with exceptions for electric-vehicle chargers, handicap spaces and the veterans space. The proposal will move to the full council docket.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6079267,"Council asks for clearer outreach after update on Green Line —G Zone' parking program",1001,1394000,2395000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2956157-6909ebdc28f4c6701361203be39efb26&start=1394&end=2395","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2956157-6909ebdc28f4c6701361203be39efb26/thumbnail_1394000.jpg","/articles/6079267/Medford-City/Middlesex-County/Massachusetts/Council-asks-for-clearer-outreach-after-update-on-Green-Line-G-Zone-parking-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6079267-b2c55b33b42c0e9828b49fa8aa13f1a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771170441&Signature=em3i2l4G0Ze3JL5wckor7Dy3Mfpz0HSdE9AdFOt2VKwjKQzcX3K6sJhIO2CGf-vFnzzNOl~7J2Z7PbKv9VwoEiRI6sDBTTXjFf7ZqkjTyq8IMJDxXf4HTVI0xESHcGySLXHoOy81Mu-k1yakjSA9BbsThw42pXfNjAtww5M93~c-17QoqOnhLy4Ati8kuX~FlK~bLxsHh9TZMaLUi47Tely7LhxVrqIKEdD5ZVX8HPYakHwRK52XRujCyeFvSRUQbJBiuKeb-ajBJmEEIsP0QZIib1mctg5C21pgC4bTHbJEGHqovwNYzcvn4yt1~TvHTfu-gs7~1aKFpYfaFaE-fw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Medford City \u0014 On April 8 the Committee of the Whole received an update on the Green Line Extension (GLX) \u0018G Zone' parking program and asked the parking director and administration to send clearer information to residents about the zone's purpose and rules.

Why it matters: The G Zone covers neighborhood streets south of downtown adjacent to the new Green Line stops. Councilors said lingering confusion among residents about permit eligibility, whether nonresidents can buy permits, and whether the program is still a pilot has driven many of the constituency calls to councilors and staff.

Director Sarah McDermott told the committee she reviewed city complaint records and the prior director's inbox and found one formal complaint specifically tied to the G Zone and a few social-media complaints. She described the zone's rough borders as the southern portion of Medford bounded by Main Street (excluded), George Street, and the Broadway edge bordering Somerville, and said anyone who purchases a zone permit can park on any street within that zone.

McDermott said the G Zone was recommended in earlier planning because new transit access increases the risk of commuter spillover parking in adjacent neighborhoods and noted a secondary benefit: zoned parking eases displacement during street construction, because residents in a zone can park elsewhere within the same zone without violating meter or time restrictions.

Councilor Scarpelli said residents' distrust of the prior parking office contributed to reluctance to use formal complaint channels and asked the parking director to provide the council with basic usage numbers and a short public information summary. \"People don't like to do their homework,\" she said; she asked for a brief statement the council can distribute with facts about who may buy permits, how many permits have been issued, and how enforcement works.

Councilor Lemming, who said she lives in the G Zone, described the program as a \"vast improvement\" for residents and urged more visible online information explaining the program's benefits and reasons it was instituted.

The committee approved a motion, made by Councilor Scarpelli and seconded by Councilor Singh, asking the parking director and city administration to provide more information and communications about the G Zone program. The motion passed 7-0 (Councilors Callahan, Lazaro, Lemming, Scarpelli, Singh and President Barris and Vice President Collins voted yes).

Next steps: The parking director said she will update the city website to note that the traffic commission made the G Zone permanent and will provide the council a short communications package the council can share with residents.","Councilors heard an update on the Green Line Extension (GLX) \u0018G Zone' permit parking program, were told only a small number of formal complaints were filed during the pilot, and asked the administration to provide clearer written communications for residents about how the program works.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Medford parking director details license-plate reader use; council seeks clearer retention and access rules

Committee reports out ordinance to reserve rear City Hall parking for employees; council approves 7-0 to move forward

Council asks for clearer outreach after update on Green Line —G Zone' parking program