Northampton Disability Commission backs using parking enforcement to report unshoveled sidewalks

The Northampton City Disability Commission voted unanimously June through a motion to draft a short letter supporting a proposal for parking enforcement officers to document and report unshoveled or icy sidewalks to police for follow-up enforcement.

Commission members told the meeting they want faster, more effective action to clear sidewalks after storms so people using mobility devices and pedestrians can travel safely. "Nobody has been fined for violating the snow ordinance in the last five years," Councilor Jeremy Dubs said, summarizing what he learned at a March 24 special city services meeting. He read the ordinance language aloud and noted that it names the chief of police, the director of public works and parking enforcement officers as people who may assess fines.

Why it matters: commissioners and staff said existing practices — mostly verbal warnings issued by police — have not produced timely sidewalk clearing for many residents, including people who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices. Dubs told the commission that the Department of Public Works owns two sidewalk tractors but only one is fully functional, and that lack of equipment is one of several operational constraints cited during the March meeting.

At the meeting, Dubs described the parking-enforcement role under discussion: "They would go around and find out what properties aren't being cleared properly, and then they would report to the police. Then the police would take care of it from there." He and several commissioners said the intent is for parking officers to document and report problems rather than immediately issue citations.

Commissioners pressed for more detail about how enforcement would work in practice. Questions raised included whether the city can reliably identify and bill building owners, whether violations are tracked as repeat offenses, and what time frames apply (for example, hours or days after a storm by which a sidewalk must be cleared). Commissioners also discussed practical evidence-gathering steps such as having parking officers take photographs and submit those images with reports to police.

Commission staff and members said they will raise these operational questions with the police chief and the city attorney at the ordinance review committee meeting scheduled for the next day. The city attorney had previously told the March meeting that locating responsible parties and efficient billing can sometimes be difficult; police said their prior enforcement approach favored warnings and education rather than immediate fines.

Formal action: a motion to have the Disability Commission write a short (two- to three-sentence) letter supporting the idea that parking enforcement officers document and report unshoveled or icy sidewalks to police was made, seconded and approved by roll call. The roll call recorded unanimous support from commissioners present.

Next steps: the commission asked for volunteers to draft the short letter in time for Dubs to bring it to the ordinance review committee meeting the following day. Commissioners asked staff to request more specific enforcement data from the police department, including any records about warnings, repeat addresses and timing of compliance, and to ask the city attorney about practical billing procedures and whether parking enforcement officers can be used as proposed.

Background: the topic grew from public concerns after a major snowstorm and a special March 24 city services meeting at which police, the DPW director and the city attorney provided information on current enforcement practices. The city’s snow ordinance authorizes fines — typically cited in discussion as $50 — but commissioners said the practice over recent years has been to issue warnings rather than fines, and the commission concluded the approach has not produced reliably cleared sidewalks for people with mobility limitations.

The commission’s discussion also referenced operational constraints at DPW (two sidewalk tractors, one fully functional) and suggested the city explore electronic or rapid notification systems so property owners receive timely notice when enforcement action is taken.