Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges towing and signage for chronic West Hill parking; board to coordinate with police and consider ordinance changes
Summary
A Northfield resident told the Select Board that a vehicle repeatedly parked on West Hill is creating unsafe conditions; the board said police moved the vehicle previously, affirmed police have enforcement tools, and agreed to notify the manager and consider ordinance amendments and signage to strengthen enforcement.
Jim Topas, who identified himself as a Northfield resident of 40 years, addressed the Select Board during public comment about a recurring safety hazard caused by a vehicle parked and worked-on in the roadway on West Hill.
Topas cited town ordinance language and state law and urged immediate signage and towing authority. "It's blocking traffic. It's an unsafe situation, and the town of Northfield is liable for that," Topas said, asking the board to follow up and to authorize towing if necessary. He recommended posting a no-parking sign along the stretch and using the town’s towing authority if the vehicle remains.
The chair responded that while the town’s highway department and town manager can post signs, enforcement currently requires police involvement and that the town’s ordinance language is weak in some respects. The chair said the interim police chief had previously gotten the vehicle moved for several days and the board would notify the manager to contact police to repeat that corrective action. Board members agreed to explore ordinance amendments to clarify signage and towing authority and to budget for signs if needed.
Topas also referenced state law, saying he had reviewed state statute (Title 19, chapter 011) and town ordinances to support his request for more immediate remedies; the board said it will follow up with police and consider ordinance changes to allow more timely enforcement in hazardous cases. The transcript records the public comment and the board's commitment to follow-up; no formal enforcement action was taken during the meeting.
