The Gardner City Council voted Dec. 1 to send a proposed amendment to chapter 600, section 24 of the city code — a winter-parking ordinance — to first printing after extended debate about notice and enforcement.

Councilor Cormier, presenting language recommended by the traffic commission, said the measure restores an overnight parking ban for peak winter months on parts of city streets and was unanimously recommended by the commission. The measure would operate as a “hybrid” system that tightens restrictions during the snowiest months but preserves some flexibility at other times.

Councilor Mac and others criticized the timing and public notice for the change. “There was nothing on the city website, nor on the Facebook pages. I went on to City Hall and there was nothing posted,” Mac said, arguing the public should have earlier notice and that the city should consider a longer, clearer season such as December through March. Councilor Haglund also flagged data errors in the committee report and asked for clarification about a cited increase in towings.

Police Chief McLean, who spoke in favor of the stricter approach, framed the issue as public safety rather than convenience. “When we started to tag in mid-November, it instilled a muscle memory into the citizens,” he said, arguing that earlier warnings followed by tickets had conditioned residents to move cars and allowed plows to clear roads more efficiently. He described the current system as overly reliant on technology and said officers and public-works crews spend substantial time addressing cars left on streets during storms.

Several councilors urged a clear notification plan before final passage. Councilor Tassoni said she would support the amendment but emphasized that residents need time to prepare; another councilor suggested the council adopt a warning system prior to enforcement. Chief McLean responded that the city already uses a CodeRED notification system and that officers and DPW crews coordinate on enforcement once a snow event is declared.

Councilors ultimately voted to send the ordinance to first printing, a preliminary procedural step; the council will consider the measure again at subsequent meetings before final passage.

The council also received a traffic-commission communication on towings and asked staff to ensure businesses and residents are notified when temporary outages and enforcement actions will occur.