By Tony Palomba
Councilor at Large
The Citizen Petition to Help Our Neighbors
On Tuesday, January 21 the City Council held a public hearing about a Citizen Petition (CP) that would amend the Watertown Winter Parking Ban (Ban) so that it is put into effect only when a significant snow or ice storm is forecasted or when there is a significant accumulation of snow or ice. The CP was initiated by Watertown Citizens for Better Parking and was submitted to the City Clerk with over 800 signatures. (Our Charter only requires 150 signatures of registered voters.) I played a role in helping to move this effort forward and below you can see the statement I read, in part, on Tuesday night when the members of the Council were allowed to address the CP.
I want to begin by thanking the 250-300 residents who showed up in person for the hearing or attended on-line. I think it is fair to say that this is one of the largest turnouts I have seen since my 8 terms on the Council. The vast majority of those attending and of those who spoke supported the CP.
A recent article in Watertown News clearly described the public hearing, though it emphasized the statements of the members of the administration and the councilors. I want to emphasize the many thoughtful presentations made by the residents who spoke at the hearing. Staying within the two-minute allowed time, resident after resident shared stories about how the Ban negatively impacts their quality of life in Watertown. Council President Sideris did not limit how many folks could speak and allowed over two hours of public testimony. I urge you to visit WCATV and listen to those who move their cars off the street by 1:00 AM and retrieve them by 7:00 AM in the winter months even when there is no snow or ice forecasted. You can hear the mother with three small children, the third shift worker, and the soon to be pregnant resident question the benefit of the Ban. http://vodwcatv.org/CablecastPublicSite/show/3632?site=3
I want to repeat something I said during the meeting and expand upon it a bit. After listening to the Administration I was left feeling that the arguments against instituting the CP as presented to the City Council had very little to do with providing some relief to a significant portion of our neighbors. There may have been some reference to the difficulties facing our neighbors, but the majority of what was said focused on how complex the issue is and the potential of the CP having a negative impact on existing and ongoing City plans like the success of our Watertown Square Area Plan, the implementation of our Comprehensive Plan, and the future of affordable housing in Watertown. We heard that there may need to be a price for the use of curb space as well as reasons why nothing can be done to address the issue as presented in the CP.
I believe that this is not a complex issue rather it is a simple issue. The Ban should only be put into effect when there is a forecast for a snow and/or ice storm. It folks can park on the street 8 months of the year when there is no snow then they should be allowed to park on the street during 4 months of the winter when there is no snow. We can address the issues of notification and enforcement, but the bottom line is that the CP was straightforward way of providing relief to those affected by a policy that is inherently inconsistent.
What is complex and complicated is the broader question of our on-street parking policy in general. This is noted in the Comprehensive Plan of 2023. There is a strategy in the Comprehensive Plan that reads, “evaluate on-street parking policy, the “Winter Parking Ban”, and parking during snow/ice events …” that is to be addressed in the “mid-term” denoted as 4 – 6 years. The process used to implement this strategy will have to be defined and that process will be complicated. However in the meantime let’s address the immediate needs of our neighbors, the safety issues related to snow and ice, and the need for robust notification and strict enforcement.
Let me conclude with some good news
Watertown Citizens for Better Parking were successful at bringing to the fore an issue that clearly resonated with over 1,000 residents. Council President Sideris’ decision to hold a public hearing soon after the CP was approved by the City Clerk and to allow over two hours of resident testimony contributed to making the CP an important issue for the administration and for my colleagues. Most recently, the City Manager Proakis announced that he and City Council President are discussing how to move the discussion of an on-street parking policy as stated in the Comprehensive Plan of 2023 to the front of the line. THANK YOU to both City leaders!
In the meantime, consider adding your voice – by sending an email and a few sentences about your situation – to the efforts of Watertown Citizens for Better Parking. You can email them at betterparkingwatertown@gmail.com.
Tony Palomba, City Councilor At-Large
781-664-3525
Comments Made at the January 21, 2025 Public Hearing on the Citizen Petition
1) Personal Attacks
I would like to respond to those who have challenged my ethical and moral character and that have described me as a diverse influence in the community as well as being unfit to serve as a representative of the residents of the City. Some even called the Citizen Petition “Palomba’s Petition”.
Here is my response. I followed the same path on this issue as I have on other issues about which residents have contacted me. I have always seen local government as made up of four legs – residents, the administration, our various boards and committees, and the city council. As noted in a letter sent to my mailing list, and made more widely public by a resident’s search of Reddit, I convened two zoom meetings for residents to discuss the Watertown Winter Parking Ban (Ban). I proposed the Citizen Petition (CP), which is in our City Charter, as a way to put the issue in front of the City Council.
I worked with those who agreed that the Citizen Petition was one avenue that would be open to them. I met with them in the early stages and eventually, around the time they organized the citizen group, Watertown Citizens for Better Parking, I moved back from the group providing advice occasionally. This is no different than when I worked with residents to establish the Social Service Response Specialist, to help establish Watertown Cares, to advocate for affordable housing, and to address many other issues that affect the community at large and individual residents. I have followed this path during my 8 terms on the City Council and will continue to do so in the future.
2) Putting the CP in context
I want to focus a moment on what the CP actually says, “We, the undersign registered voters of the City of Watertown do hereby petition the City Council to take the necessary steps to AMEND the current Winter Parking Ban presently in practice so that it is put into effect only when a significant snow or ice storm is forecasted or when there is a significant accumulation of snow and ice.”
The CP is designed to give a bit of relief to those who have to move their car off the street between 1:00 AM and 7:00 AM, (except at the O’Connell Park parking lot where they must be retrieved by 6:00 AM) when there is no snow or any significant accumulation of snow and ice. The CP does not change the substance of the Ban. It only changes WHEN the Ban would go into effect.
It appears from the many one line emails I have received that read “do not eliminate the snow ban”, that folks believe the CP calls on the City Council to eliminate the Ban. This same misinterpretation appears in many of the longer emails I have received also. What has not come through clearly is the fact that the CP calls on the City Council to amend the Ban in a very specific matter. Equally clear is that fact that the CP generated a lot of comments that address a number of issues that are outside the purpose of the Ban and the CP.
3) What the CP is NOT:
This CP is not designed to address the issue that some streets are crowded with cars. If folks feel this is a problem, they should seek out legislative or administrative action to address this issue. Residents can park on the street during the day 8 months of the year day and night. The Ban does eliminate some of these cars during the houses of 1 AM and 7 AM, a period of time when residents are not usually outside enjoying less crowded streets.
This CP is not an effort to regular if folks want/need to purchase a car. Residents who presently are affected by the ban will not run out to buy a second care because the Ban will go into effect only when there is a looming snow or ice storm. They will still have to be prepared to move their car to one of designated location at and retrieve it by 7:00 am.
This CP is not designed to limit the number of cars in the City. This is the “there are more cars in Watertown than there are spaces for cars” argument. Again, future residents may have two cars or have one car and live in a house with neighbors that have one or two cars. These folks have chosen to live in Watertown and will be prepared to follow the Ban. If there is an effort to eliminate the number of cars in Watertown folks can seek to enforce the current “All Night Parking” regulation – (Chapter 73-505 of the Watertown Code), which prohibits on street parking, except for one hour, between the hours of 1:00 AM to 6:00 AM, though I do not think they would find support for this effort. I also believe this would cause a major disruption for many more families and individuals.
They could also create a CP or have a councilor or the administration initiate an ordinance that would require renters/owners to provide enough off street parking to their tenants. If they can’t, the potential tenant must find another place to live in Watertown and the renter/owner must wait until there are tenants who do not need a car. This approach means we will determine who are neighbors are by whether they own a car, regardless of the fact that they may need a car for work.
This CP is not designed to address the goal of reducing CO2 emissions. The cars that have to be moved during the Ban are not major contributors to CO2 emissions. If folks want to address the issue of reducing the amount of time residents use their car, let’s look at micro-transit options in the City so folks can ride to the closest T stop or to stores and businesses in the City.
This CP is not designed to address the issue of cars that are packed on the street for days or weeks. Residents can call the Traffic Division of the Watertown Police Department (WPD) to have them investigate the situation. Similarly, if residents from neighboring cities park on Watertown streets over night, a Watertown resident can call the WPD.
4) Back to the Basics
We should focus on what the CP says, AMEND the Ban as presently in place so that it goes in effect when there is a forecast for a snow or ice storm or the accumulation of a snow and ice. This is the CP before us. We have heard numerous stories of hardship. The purpose of the CP is to not have folks move their car when there is no snow or ice. They do not have to do this 8 months out of the year when there is not snow or ice, why should they have to do it during the 4 months if there is no snow or ice.
Finally, there are some concerns raised about the CP that I would like address:
Safety. This is the most important issues to address. The issue of first responders getting to residents in need, getting to fires, etc. is critical. However this issue arises throughout the year, not only during the four months the Ban is in place.
Notification when the Ban is instituted. Again, this is not any different than when the administration wants to notify residents of the snow emergency and on-street parking ban. The administration calls or texts those signed up for the service, the Communication Teams puts out the notice on social media platforms, and the Police issue a reverse 911 notice. Also, as mentioned at an earlier City Council meeting, we know that the daily, on-line Watertown News has broad reach. Finally, folks who are already familiar with the Ban and the need to move their car will be ready when the Ban is implemented.
Enforcement. Begin with a ticket and move to a tow. Use the same procedure as the snow emergency and on-street parking ban.
Deicing in anticipation of an ice storm. This would require the administration to initiate the announcement of the Ban early enough to accommodate this precaution.
Cars still not moved after the Ban is put into practice. Cars can be ticked and towed early in the process, so no car is enmeshed in a snow bank.
Before I close I want to extend my appreciation to those residents who made suggestions for immediate next steps or suggestions that go above and beyond the basic message in this CP. These included:
- running a pilot program for the rest of the year with the Ban going into effect only when there is prediction of a snow or ice storm.
- look at alternatives such as a parking permit system or parking only one side of the street in certain parts of the City.
- consider hiring a consultant to study all the parking-related issues and propose possible alternatives and new ordinances.
- work with large business and residential businesses so that they allow residents to use their parking lots and garages.
Also, thank you to everyone who sent emails. I have not been able to reply to all, but I have read them all. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who attended the meeting in person or on zoom tonight. A special thank you to those who spoke tonight.
Finally, a special thanks to the Watertown Citizens for Better Parking, a group of residents who took the CP on and went about organizing – researching addresses, building their email list, arranging meetings with councilors, being interviewed at WCATV and much, much more. They did this on a shoestring. They are not professional campaign organizers, just ordinary Watertown residents who felt something was wrong and it needed to be addressed.
Thank you.