Council discussion: school signs installed during earlier grant lack formal legislation; officials seek to finalize rules for enforcement

Council members and staff discussed signs installed near schools in 2019–2020 that, according to city speakers, were put in place under a grant but never formalized through the council’s legislative process.

Cosmo Tesser identified the item as sponsored by a council member and asked a colleague to explain. A staff speaker said signage had been installed years ago when a school‑safety grant was active and that legislation to codify the signs was never completed, which has prevented enforcement. The staff member said the police department now requires an adopted local law or ordinance before officers can enforce parking or stopping restrictions tied to those signs.

Meeting participants referenced a past street‑safety grant and a presentation by Sergeant Uraniak to the council about school signs and crosswalk placement. The staff speaker said the police department tracks traffic sign recommendations in an RMS system and that the relevant traffic studies and RMS entries indicate the signs were intended to remain; the missing step was formal legislation to put the signs on the municipal schedule and permit enforcement by police.

Council members characterized the omission as an administrative oversight tied to the grant period rather than an intentional action. They said the current work is to “finalize it to make sure it’s on the books,” so enforcement and ticketing can proceed alongside DPW installation and signage updates.

Ending Council members directed follow‑up through committee and the Department of Public Works; the related ordinances for school‑day restrictions on Hollingsworth and Swarth avenues were introduced during the same meeting (see "Votes at a glance" article).