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Residents press council to strengthen sidewalk clearing and emergency snow response after ice storm
Summary
Multiple residents told the council Feb. 20 that the Feb. storm left sidewalks impassable for people with mobility needs and that the city's snow‑clearing ordinance and enforcement are inadequate; councilors and the mayor acknowledged the concerns and thanked DPW staff for their work during a difficult storm.
Dozens of public commenters used the Northampton City Council's public comment period on Feb. 20 to praise the Department of Public Works for its work during a late‑winter ice storm and to urge city government to strengthen sidewalk‑clearing rules and emergency response protocols.
Several speakers described hazardous sidewalks and blocked curb cuts that left people in wheelchairs or with mobility challenges forced to use travel lanes. "We plow the road so people in cars can get around. We should clear the sidewalk so people who are not in cars can get around," said Raymond Paquette, who urged the council to suspend rules and approve the school appropriation (he also advocated for clearing sidewalks).
Councilors and the mayor acknowledged the difficulty of the storm and thanked DPW workers for working around the clock. Councilor Rothenberg described challenges trying to obtain emergency assistance late at night and said the city's current restrictions on councilors' access to on‑duty staff complicated rapid question‑and‑answer exchanges during emergencies. She asked the administration to examine whether the city's charter and policies limit councilors's ability to get timely information for constituents during emergencies.
Mayor Gina Louis Sierra reminded property owners that state and local rules usually place liability for clearing adjacent sidewalks on property owners and that the city requires clearing within 24 hours of a storm's end when feasible, or treatment to remove slip hazards if full clearing is not possible. The mayor also posted DPW contact information and an after‑hours non‑emergency dispatch number for safety concerns.
The council did not take formal action on snow ordinance changes that night; several councilors asked staff to bring a scope and proposed remedies for future discussion, including clearer notification and enforcement mechanisms and an accessibility review of curb cuts and pedestrian ramps.
