Northampton officials, disability advocates and residents said the citysnow removal ordinance needs clearer operational planning and better outreach to protect residents who rely on sidewalks for essential trips.

The committee heard that police typically respond to reports of unshoveled sidewalks and issue warnings or ordinance cards, but that the department is short-staffed and cannot guarantee rechecks every 24 hours as the ordinance states. "We have 4 patrol areas in the city, and we have 1 cruiser that patrols each of those areas," Northampton Police Chief John Cartlidge said. "After a snowstorm, we typically do get some phone calls from residents ... We respond as soon as we can get there and try to look at the sidewalk, make a determination."

Department of Public Works Director Donna LaScalia described the operational limits of municipal sidewalk clearing. "We keep 2 operational [sidewalk tractors] ... We do about 7 or 8 miles of sidewalk. And that is a full 8 hour shift and then some, for 1 employee to plow the route that we plow," LaScalia said, noting the work also requires a second vehicle to replenish treated salt for de-icing. LaScalia added that DPW had 17 vacancies out of 81 full-time positions and that some sidewalks and bridges require hand-shoveling.

Committee members and public speakers stressed the human consequences of delays. Residents read statements describing falls, prolonged inability to leave homes and a case where a resident said she developed pneumonia after excessive manual shoveling. Committee members said those reports reinforced the need to prioritize sidewalk access for people who use mobility devices and older adults.

The city solicitor told the group that state law limits municipal liability for snow and ice. "The short answer to your question is no. It doesn't," City Solicitor Alan Sewald said when asked whether a civil rule would expose the city broadly to liability for slip-and-fall incidents tied to snow and ice. He added that across-the-board municipal liability for public-way defects is capped and narrow in scope.

The discussion focused on multiple potential fixes rather than immediate changes to the ordinance text. Ideas discussed included:

- Establishing a dedicated parking enforcement or DPW detail after storms to document violations and free police patrols to handle other calls;
- Expanding the list of agencies that can educate and enforce to include Division of Community Care (DCC) so non-emergency community responders could follow up with residents;
- A registry or hotline for residents who cannot physically or financially clear their sidewalks so volunteers or city programs can be dispatched;
- More robust pre-winter education (newsletter, tax-bill notices, PSAs and robocalls) to reduce violations before storms begin.

Committee members repeatedly said existing practice relies heavily on warnings and education and that the ordinancelanguage that treats each 24-hour period as a separate offense creates a mismatch between the law and operational reality. "[An officer] gives a warning at noon; 24 hours after the storm ... we can't guarantee we're going to be back at noon to write them a fine," Cartlidge said, describing rotating shifts and competing calls for service.

Several speakers called for a centralized tracking system to record warnings, rechecks and repeat noncompliance so the committee could identify repeat offenders and target resources. Councilors suggested the committeeshould draft changes to ordinance language and fine structure and also pursue citywide operational commitments to make enforcement consistent.

The committee set a timetable to produce a final report by December with recommendations to the full City Council and agreed to continue the discussion at subsequent meetings. Officials emphasized that any change in which department enforces the ordinance or how enforcement occurs would likely require an ordinance amendment and coordination with the mayor's office and city departments.

"The main goal here is for the sidewalks to be cleared of snow and ice and for residents to be able to get where they need to go when they need to get there," the chair said during closing remarks.

Ending: The committee will continue drafting recommendations and outreach plans; members urged proactive education and pilot operational steps before the winter season.