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Council enacts home rule petition to raise municipal fine cap and requires tenant notification of parking restrictions
Summary
The council approved a home rule petition to increase the maximum fine the city can levy for municipal violations and passed an ordinance amendment requiring tenants be notified when parking permits are restricted in transit areas.
The Somerville City Council on Oct. 9 approved by roll call a home rule petition to raise the city’s maximum fine amounts and separately ordained an amendment to the city code requiring landlords or sellers to notify prospective tenants of parking-permit restrictions in transit areas.
The home rule petition (item 25-1429) — described in committee as updating the maximum fines allowed under state law (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 40, §21D) — was approved with a unanimous roll call of the 10 councilors present. Councilors said the change would align Somerville with practices in peer cities.
Separately, the council enrolled (item 25-1460) an amendment to Section 7 and Section 1-11(b) of the Somerville Code of Ordinances to require notification to tenants of parking permit restrictions in transit areas, a measure the committee said would make tenant access to information more transparent for areas where permits are limited.
The votes were taken individually during the Legislative Matters committee report and each passed unanimously by the councilors present.
