By Tony PalombaCouncilor 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.
