[Jack Buckley]: Welcome to the February 14, 2023 Traffic Commission. Today, the time is, let's see what time it is here, 5.04. The meeting will now come to order. Alva, roll call of the commissioners, please.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGibbon.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Commissioner McGiven, where did he go? I'm seeing him, continue.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Present. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Bob Dickinson]: Present.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Chief Buckley?
[Jack Buckley]: Present. It's three, nothing, but I know Commissioner McGiven was just on, so let's see if he logs back in here quickly. I'm not sure how he would have dropped off.
[Unidentified]: I have some. Give them a second to appear.
[Jack Buckley]: Either way, we do have a quorum. I will start with also present this evening is Secretary of the Traffic Commission, Alva Erickson, Traffic Sergeant Larry Rogers, and Transportation Engineer Amy Ingalls is present. and our wonderful traffic intern who is gonna be getting a, be helping out the Medford Police Department, Lily Worth is also present here. Welcome to all of you. Well, here's Tim McGibbon coming in now. Commissioner McGibbon, you all set and present?
[SPEAKER_07]: You have to make him co-host.
[Jack Buckley]: All right, Tim, you're a co-host. You should be able to unmute yourself. Commissioner McGibbon is present. Again, we have a quorum regardless. We'll know. Minutes of the January Traffic Commission minutes have been distributed to the members. Have we had a chance to review? Is all in order? Any questions, concerns regarding the minutes? Hearing none. None by me. entertain a motion to approve the minutes of the January Traffic Commission meeting, the January 19th meeting.
[Bob Dickinson]: Motion.
[Jack Buckley]: Motion on Commissioner Brzezinski to approve the minutes of the January 19th, 2023 Traffic Commission meeting, seconded by? Second. Seconded by Commissioner McGiven. I have a roll call vote.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGiven?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes. Chief Buckley. Yes. The minutes have been approved. Uh, under new business 2023-10 handicap, uh, parking side for Renata to Kahuna, but Thomas Kuna 5 25 main street is the petitioner present.
[Adam Hurtubise]: You just raise your hand, uh, signal your presence and we can unmute you. to Kuna. Kuna, Kuna. Not seeing the commissioner.
[Jack Buckley]: There's no one in the- She was notified. And she was notified? And Chief, I went down Sunday to try to talk, but there was no answer to the host. Okay. All right, so just to make it known to the rest of the commissioners, the traffic sergeant, as is usual, we get petitions. Let's go down and speak to the petitioner to do a review of the petition. And there was no one home upon trying to speak with them. And Secretary Erickson states that they have been notified to appear today. So there's a couple of things we could do. vote blindly, we can vote to table, we can vote.
[Alicia Hunt]: Can we motion to table till at least the end of the meeting? And then if they arrive, then we can hear from them. And if not, then we can decide what to do at the end of the meeting.
[Jack Buckley]: Sure. I'll take it as a motion to table from Commissioner Hunt. Thank you. Second. Seconded by Commissioner McGiven. How about roll call?
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGibbon?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes. Chief Buckley? Yes. On a one-nothing vote, 2023-10 is tabled at least till the end of this meeting to give the petitioner time to arrive. 2023-11, permit parking variances for Samantha Lawrence, 7 Edward Place for Edward Street. Is the petitioner present? Okay. You got it?
[SPEAKER_14]: Yeah, can you hear me?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes, we can. Welcome. And if you could, could you please just explain your petition and request of the commission?
[SPEAKER_14]: Um, so my address is in a private way like the driveway is a private way. And only one car is allowed per apartment, but I live with my boyfriend so one of us has to park on the street. And I tried to go to City Hall to get a sticker but they said that they couldn't give it to me because my address was a private way. But the street is Edward Street, and I got a ticket last week, because I had to park on the street, and it was for 40 Edward Street, so I went to City Hall and they sent me to the police department because they said I had to get it approved by you so I can have a sticker so I can park on the street.
[Jack Buckley]: Thank you. And at the risk of repeating what you're saying, you live at 7 Edwards Place, that's a private way, and there's restricted parking. Amy, are you able to pull up a map so we can kind of take a look at Edward Place for the rest of the commissioners? And there's not enough parking in there, and you're looking for a variance to park out on Edward Street, which is a permanent parking street.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Yes. Chief, for your information, there have been other variances granted to residents on Edward Place, far Edward Street. Do we know how many? I'm going to say probably two or three, because there's only three houses, I believe, on Edward Place. Yeah, they live with the previous owner. And yes, and where she lives, the former tenant had been receiving variances since 2018.
[Jack Buckley]: So for the, I don't know how much you as commissioners can hear from the secretary, but Ms. Erickson states that there are at least two other residents of Edward Place who've been granted variances to Edward Street. And the prior resident of this address, 7 Edward Place, had also been granted a variance to park on Edward Street by this traffic commission. So having said that, I put it back to the commissioners for questions and concerns of the petitioner. Where does any car park there? I'm just looking at that picture.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: I know it looks like a driveway.
[Jack Buckley]: I'll go ahead to the petitioner. You can speak.
[SPEAKER_14]: Sorry. So one of us parks right up when you drive right up the driveway. And I got that ticket out front of the White House when I had to park on the street.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, excellent, thank you. Commissioner Hunt, question?
[Alicia Hunt]: Well, I guess I was looking at it from the top down view and it looks like this is a lot in the middle of the block. It's basically a landlocked lot and it does look like there are cars in there pulled right up against the building that's in there, I guess. So I'm aware that the, is this, is Edward Street one of the places that we've very recently added permit parking to? Or actually you're saying that people have had permits on Edward Street from this building for many years, is that correct?
[Jack Buckley]: Correct, yes. There's at least two that we know of, not including the prior residents of this 7 Edward Place.
[Alicia Hunt]: Because I think it's relevant that this isn't something that is just recently in the middle of the year been imposed on it. This is how it's been. Although it sounds like they've been led to believe that it's no problem to get permits on Edwards Street for people who move into this building.
[SPEAKER_14]: They had given my boyfriend a resident sticker, but they won't renew it.
[Alicia Hunt]: So he got one last year?
[SPEAKER_14]: When he moved in, yeah. And then when he went to renew it, they wouldn't renew it because he lives on the private way.
[Alicia Hunt]: Okay. So was it in 2022 that he got the original? No, 2021. So he moved in 2021 and then
[SPEAKER_14]: In August 2022, it expired. They said that rules changed, City Hall, and that they can't, they're not gonna renew it because he lives on a private way. So I parked on the street because my car is in Medford, but they still gave me a ticket because I don't have a sticker to park on the street.
[Alicia Hunt]: And is your vehicle registered in Medford? Yeah. Okay. Because that is one of our requirements that the vehicle has to be, even with a variance has to, should be registered at that location.
[SPEAKER_14]: Yeah. My resident address and my garage address and everything is Medford.
[Alicia Hunt]: Okay. I know we're all so we're all sitting here thinking we're really trying to reduce the number of cars we're trying to discourage cars, and there's a reason, places come with fewer spots, and when people rent them they should know what kind of parking is available to them. But it also sounds like that when you guys moved in, you were given the impression that you could park two cars here.
[SPEAKER_14]: Right, yeah, because there's one available parking spot in the private way and then the city gave him a resident sticker for the street.
[Alicia Hunt]: Right, we switched parking vendors and the previous parking vendor was very lax with our rules and just gave permits sometimes.
[Jack Buckley]: And some of them were not recorded, thus we're having you come before the commission to memorialize any agreement.
[Alicia Hunt]: Right. So we don't have a record of a previous variance for them, although it does sound like the Traffic Commission has a record of this property getting variances in the past.
[Jack Buckley]: That is correct. And that is, again, one of the projects that we've been working on is trying to put together the variance list, the historical variance list so that we can we know what's out there that we have to deal with.
[Tim McGivern]: Any capacity issues with the parking on Edward Street? Sounds like you're able to find parking. It's just a matter of whether you can legally park there. Are there issues with finding parking on Edward Street?
[SPEAKER_14]: Um, no, the streets always usually pretty clear unless people are having like a party or get together but the streets pretty clear. I usually can park right in front of the White House every day. It's a I keep getting tickets.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay. Sergeant Rogers, no known parking complaints up there, like historical compliance. Nope.
[Tim McGivern]: I'm okay with a variance like this. I mean, these private ways that are like driveways to buildings and back of lots. I mean, I feel like these keep coming up.
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah. I mean, I think some of it's, you know. uh, self-imposed with some of the new restrictions we've put in place. And then there's others here with just a historical, um, database isn't reflecting what we've agreed in the past. So we're trying to reconcile some of that.
[Tim McGivern]: Yeah. We're pretty confident. This is one of these though. It sounds like.
[Jack Buckley]: Yep. According to, uh, the secretary of the traffic commission, this has been granted for this residence, uh, to prior, uh, to prior residents at this address since 2018, since 2018. Gotcha. Gotcha.
[Adam Hurtubise]: For that reason, I move to approve this. Second.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: I'll second it. He needs a variance.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay. I'm sorry. We just had something going on sideways here. Um, who filed as a motion? Sorry. Catch up. That was me motion approved the motion of commissioner McGiven, uh, to approve 2023-11 seconded by commissioner hunt roll call Alba commissioner prison.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Um, sorry. Commissioner McGiven. Yep. Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Unidentified]: Yes.
[Jack Buckley]: Chief Buckley? Yes. On a four nothing vote, the petition is approved. and the resident has been granted a resident permit parking barriers for Edwards Street. Thank you for your participation and your assistance. Just give it a couple of days for us to notify the parking division so that they're aware of our vote and we can kind of get all the information over to them.
[SPEAKER_14]: Okay, did I get anything to put in the windshield or a letter? Is it just in your?
[Jack Buckley]: We will notify them that we've approved the variance and they will give you all the materials you need for your parking pass, the resident permit there. No, you have to go up in person. The city hall.
[Alicia Hunt]: The same office that told you no before, in a couple of days, if you go there, they'll say yes once they get our information.
[SPEAKER_14]: Oh, okay.
[Jack Buckley]: Thank you. All right. Thank you. 2023-12 crosswalk daylighting for Fulton at Tainter, higher Bradley Road, higher Governor's Ave, east and west leg, high street at Grace Episcopal Church. Um, and I turned this over to the traffic engineer, uh, uh, Amy Ingalls. Uh, I know Todd is out sick today, but I believe you're ready to present on this.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Just to kind of define what daylighting is, essentially it's banning parking on the approach to a crosswalk. Usually just one space is all that we need to do. So that way there's a clear sight, excuse me, a clear line of sight for drivers approaching the crosswalk. If there's someone standing next to the crosswalk waiting to cross, there's no blockage by parked vehicles. There was a few around Medford Square and then one near one of the schools that have been brought to our attention recently and we decided we would try to take care of all of them with one meeting. I do have a little presentation with some screenshots here. I can show you guys.
[Unidentified]: Please. All right, so this is the one at Fulton and Tainter.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: So yes, right where this yellow rectangle is, is basically the part that I'm proposing to remove parking. This Fulton Street is a one-way going up at this part. If someone is parked right here, such as you can see in the map, and a pedestrian is waiting where this red bit is, it would be hard for a driver coming this way to see them waiting there. Since it's a one-way, we don't need to worry about this approach because no one's approaching from that direction in a car. Should I go through each?
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah, I mean, that's not taking long. I'd like to see it anyway. I just want to see where it's impacted, if you could.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Sure. All right, the next one is the rest of them are all on High Street. This is High at Bradley, kind of near the library. Again, we only need it to be really need to affect from what approach, because the approach from this side, the intersection, there's no one parking here, blocking people's view. But this you can kind of see cars like almost exactly on the park or the crosswalk. So if we remove parking in just this yellow area, there's a clear view for cars coming down here to see pedestrians waiting. And then at Governors Ave and High Street, similar thing. Coming from a different direction actually this accessible spot right here helps us out gives us a nice clear view of people. When they're coming down here they can see all the pedestrians, you know that might be waiting there, but coming from the other direction, hitting eastbound cars do park like right up against these two crosswalks. So we're proposing one space elimination for both. Then finally, last one is a little bit further down High Street in front of the Grace Episcopal Church. Again, same thing, only from one direction. At this crosswalk, we have a driveway right on this side of it, so no one's going to be parking there anyways, at least they shouldn't be anyways. So again, just one space restricted there.
[Alicia Hunt]: I have some questions about it. So in some of those spaces that you showed us, there are marked parking spots. And if you take away half a parking spot, it's done the same effect of taking away a full parking spot because there's no wiggle room there. In places actually like this one, for example, where there's just a whole bunch of space that we don't know for sure I mean I'm sure you could measure and tell us how many spots, but depending where people park very spots are there. Is it necessary and appropriate to take the whole length of a full car. or would a smaller amount of space serve the same visual safety amount? Do you get what I'm saying?
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Yeah, definitely. Yeah. So the standard kind of clear zone is 20 feet, which is about what a on street parking space, at least a smallish on street parking space would be. So in all these cases, there is a spot that's either marked out or that appears to be where people are parking right up against the crosswalk. So it would just be eliminating just one space.
[Alicia Hunt]: In each case, part of why I asked is because I am aware that throughout high street. It's an, you know, it's a business district where people really value having customers park right in front of their businesses. So I totally understand the safety issue here of making that space. But I do want to make sure that we are minimizing removal of spots right in front of businesses, because those are very valuable to the businesses as well, especially some kinds of businesses, people will just choose to go somewhere else. If like a pizza shop if you can never park in front of your pizza shop you don't go in. I used to game with my coffee shop parking, I would stop and get a coffee and if there wasn't parking right convenient I decided I didn't really need a coffee that day anyhow. Sure, sure.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: I mean, I think that the reason that these kind of rose to the top are because they are pretty egregious. High Street is very narrow. And that also lends to, you know, just poor sight lines around parked vehicles. And there, you know, it is a place where you do have a fair amount of pedestrians and then the one on Fulton kind of rises to the top because it's right near school and kind of like on the path for children walking to school. So those are factors that came also with, you know, having repeated requests for better sight lines at these crosswalks.
[Alicia Hunt]: And I see that myself I often do not notice that there is a pedestrian in one of those crosswalks on high street just because you don't see them to the very last minute. Yeah. So, I'm not. I have one additional sort of separate question. Um, at first when I saw the high street in front of grace church on here I actually thought this was going to be the spot right on the other side of the driveway, which I am aware that the church has been approaching the city for about five years to try and do something about. because people park so close to that driveway that it's extraordinarily dangerous. And with a daycare down there, they have like 50 cars coming and going from that driveway a day between drop off and pick up. And so I was wondering if that if your office had looked at that spot.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: We, I do seem to recall having a conversation with Todd about that quite a while ago. I don't remember off the top of my head where we landed on that. I suppose we landed on not taking away the spot because we felt like, you know, that sight lines weren't as bad as some people were making them out to be.
[Alicia Hunt]: I'll tell you that I use it regularly. We had asked for a mirror and then the city told us yes, and then no. And I say us, because for a while, I was actually the person tasked with asking, following up with the city on trying to get something done as a safety measure there. Because it is very hard to see coming out of that driveway, if anything larger than a small sedan parks there. And I realize that's on the side,
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Sure. No, I mean, I'll make a note of it and I'll bring it back up to Todd and see if we can do that conversation.
[Alicia Hunt]: I'm sure the rector there would be happy to talk about it more.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: I'm sure you would.
[Alicia Hunt]: She.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Oh, I thought you meant Todd. I was going to say the rector would be happy to talk about it. The rector, yes, yes.
[SPEAKER_19]: With you more. I'm sure they would. OK, I'm done.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Amy, can you bring up Hia Bradley again? That's the back, right? Am I correct?
[SPEAKER_19]: Yeah. Should I bring up like more of a zoomed out map?
[Adam Hurtubise]: Oh, pretty. Yeah, I know what that is. Yeah, it has to be the back, right, Sergeant? Yeah, I see Islamic Center right there. I believe, right? On the left.
[Jack Buckley]: Oh, no, you're across the street. Okay. Yeah, that is the back then.
[Alicia Hunt]: It's right in front of the elements massage. So the crosswalk goes right up to Elements Massage. And so that yellow is in front of 42 High. So Elements Massage was a bit of a fit New England.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Oh, yeah. And the UPS store. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. The credit union. Right.
[Tim McGivern]: Is there a current meter on that space, Amy?
[Alicia Hunt]: I think there is on that one. Yeah. It's definitely several of these are part of the pay parking section.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Well, unless it was a batch that were recently installed. I don't see one on Street View in March 2022.
[Jack Buckley]: I mean, I don't know I'm assuming that there's a legal spot there now but as you can see some of those spots, I would have to be hard pressed to believe that they painted it right up against the crosswalk. But maybe I'm wrong. I don't know if you have another view.
[Alicia Hunt]: Amy, can you give a street view? Because actually, I'm looking at street view, and that parking spot is right up against the crosswalk.
[Unidentified]: Yeah. You see that now? Oh, yeah. Yep. Better idea.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Better look at it.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: It looks like it's a pretty small spot as well. So like, I wonder how many people can actually get in there. But it is, yeah, very, very close.
[Jack Buckley]: Cramped that in there.
[Alicia Hunt]: Like I said, we like our parking in front of businesses. It's true.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: But I guess therapeutic massage and a gym are not really places you need to pop into. Those are kind of like, you know, you're going to stay for probably an hour. So maybe that kind of you know, phenomenon of like, oh, it's not worth it to stop for your coffee or whatever would not play out here.
[Tim McGivern]: I like the idea of protecting the crossings. I've tried to cross here before, and you do have to walk out of this car's park there.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Yeah. You have to be aggressive.
[Tim McGivern]: Yeah, and I would only say that if this were to be approved, Amy, I talked about this with Todd, I think, and the chief reviewed it too, there's some changes in parking along High Street that were coordinated. So these might come into play, these movable spaces, as far as how things are expected out in the future. So I think kind of the elephant in the room too is that parking meters were installed along the whole run. So just to sort of make spacing things out a little bit challenging.
[Unidentified]: Yeah.
[Tim McGivern]: Anyway, I think this is the right thing to do as far as space allocation and pedestrian crossings in this highly used area, in my opinion.
[Bob Dickinson]: Have we, have we looked at other alternatives? I know Alicia brings up a good point about losing parking. Have we looked up any of those? The ones where you can press the button and they illuminate to alert you that someone's there.
[SPEAKER_19]: Uh, we do have some of those on high street.
[Bob Dickinson]: Um, I think that I live near, I live near here and I'm generally almost hit on a daily basis when I walk, but at the same time, I'm kind of torn here. something needs to be done, cars whipping out, begin whipping out. But at the same time, I'd hate to rob a parking spot. I'd almost wish that the motion or the item would have been spread out, because I think some of them are more prone to approve than the ones kind of right here in the downtown area. So I just wanted to know, going back to my original question, did we look at alternatives that would preserve spots yet increase the
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: So that could be an option for some of these. The one that's shown right now at Bradley, I don't think that would really be an option just because you have to have a place to install the beacon. And we have a pretty tight sidewalk already with a tree. And there's just really not anywhere to put it. Maybe the ones down by the church, it's possible. If we decide we were going to do that, there would be obviously, you know, it would take some time to get the funds and get that installed. We don't have dedicated funds for that sitting around ready to be used. So it would delay any kind of action on those if that's what we decided. Just something to keep in mind.
[Bob Dickinson]: And then one other question about, did we clarify which of these are actually, another one we're looking at right now is a pay spot. So that's gone. are the other ones, I forgot how many I have, one, two, three, four, are they all pay spots? Or is it just this one? My concern is that we've decreased revenue by giving up that spot that we're looking at right now. Do we have the ability to do that? Or is it not that big of a deal?
[Adam Hurtubise]: We'll leave high and come up with a pay spot.
[SPEAKER_19]: Say it again.
[Jack Buckley]: high end governors probably, can you push up to that one? I'm sorry, yeah, high end governor. That's great.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Yeah, I think all of them except for the Fulton Street are, I think all the ones on High Street are paid spots, I guess.
[Bob Dickinson]: The one in front of, yeah, the one in front of Mayanna is.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: This one's kind of annoying, there's a big truck in the way.
[Unidentified]: Let's see. So yeah, basically where this car is, is one of them.
[Bob Dickinson]: I mean, I think that picture right there is indicative of the problem that we have. There's too many cars in like a small area, but I do bring up the elimination of revenue question just because I don't know that this committee has the ability to take that right away. So I'd be willing to like the ones where they're not parking spots, I'd be willing to support those, the ones where we eliminate parking spots, pay parking spots. I think there's some other groups that may want some input on that, see if it's okay.
[Alicia Hunt]: Honestly, I'm not clear there is anybody else who weighs in on the paid parking.
[Bob Dickinson]: City council doesn't, that's a revenue item, no?
[Alicia Hunt]: They have not been involved with the setting of the rates, the fees, none of that. Yeah.
[Jack Buckley]: Historically, the traffic commission has set META locations and META rates, but the question would be, But what I don't know is the legal question where, when we did that last, were they subject to city council approval?
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: I did wanna point out just in this image here, one of the ones that governors already has the beacon, flashing beacon installed. And then I guess, yeah, raised an interesting point that this was, all these locations were kind of coupled together into the same issue. I wonder, is there a way to separate them out so that we don't have to, it's not an all or nothing? If that makes sense to folks.
[Alicia Hunt]: Yeah, we can choose to vote some of them on and not all of them. They're just noticed all together. Right. The public knows that we're discussing all of them.
[Unidentified]: Right, right, right. Exactly.
[Jack Buckley]: Why don't I take the opportunity to see if there's any public comment on this question? We have to get back to the screen here. Is there anyone present wishing to speak to the issue? Maybe any business owners or someone from the public who has an interest in this, just raise a hand if you could and let me know.
[Unidentified]: Seeing none, go back to the commissioners.
[Alicia Hunt]: Chief, is it safe to assume that there was no abutters notification of any type for this, right?
[Jack Buckley]: That's correct.
[Alicia Hunt]: I mean, I think it does come down to a safety issue, and they're right. And I think it would be helpful to hear from Amy. a little bit, you sort of alluded to the fact that these are all locations that people have come to you guys about, is that correct?
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Yeah, we've gotten multiple requests about these locations. Just checking them out ourselves, like it does, they do appear to be, you know, particularly good examples of, you know, why you should do these types of things.
[Tim McGivern]: Are we breaking any rules or guidance by having them the way that we have them?
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Like without a 20 foot clearance?
[Tim McGivern]: Yes.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: It's like not a rule. It's a guidance thing. It's a recommendation.
[Tim McGivern]: But it's safe to say we're going against the recommendation for pedestrian safety.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: That would be correct, yeah.
[Tim McGivern]: So I think some of these issues were discussed too when we were talking about the layout of parking on High Street. For example, there's two parking spaces there at the T intersection with governors. And is there enough room for safe turning maneuvers off of governors making the left, etc. That's always kind of been a question. And are there really two spaces there. The more that we are sort of looking to make this area more pedestrian friendly at the expense of a parking space or two, I am okay with that. I understand the revenue issue. We can always get advisement from economic development out of Alicia's office if traffic commission needs advisement there. I don't necessarily think a couple of spaces in the interest of pedestrian safety on this stretch going to break the bank on that. But that's just a gut reaction, not formulated based on any data. And then we, of course, have the public lot behind Colleen's, which is always available to folks as well. So with that said, if we want to break them apart, we could table some, Steve, based off of gathering more information, and then push the one that is on Fulton Street to approval.
[Bob Dickinson]: No, I, I really don't want to table any more things. I, you know, I, I, if it's a safety issue, I think, you know, one of the things I'd like to do is defer to the people who believe we have safety issues. And so. I would support the motion as is, I think you're going to get some pushback from the Miata people, you know, people who are losing spots out front, but, um, I, you know, I, I think, um, loss of a loss of a client, my death being hit by a car is, um, worth trying to do something a little more. So. I'd support it. I'd support a motion to approve all the requests.
[Jack Buckley]: So will I take it as a motion, Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Tim McGivern]: Motion.
[Jack Buckley]: Seconded.
[Tim McGivern]: I'd second that. I'd second that motion.
[Jack Buckley]: OK. On the motion of Commissioner Brzezinski, seconded by Commissioner McGibbon to approve 2023-12 crosswalk daylighting. Albert, roll call vote.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGibbon?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes. Chief Buckley? Yes. On a four nothing vote, the motion is approved.
[Bob Dickinson]: Can I make a comment there, Chief? One thing I would like to say though, I think it is important to let, in these instances, when we do create these safety issues, to let these neighboring business owners know what we're doing. I have a feeling when the owners of these businesses that front these spots come out one day and find a big yellow block in front of their business, they're going to be kind of offended that they weren't noticed. So not that it's necessarily required, I think more as a courtesy as we try to improve safety in a very dangerous area. I think it's important to let people know what we're doing.
[Jack Buckley]: I will make a note of that of the record and I actually support that theory and process.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Yeah, yeah, saying I agree with that also did not, maybe not forget the the one on Fulton, even though it's not a business. It didn't seem that all this, the different street views that there was the same person parking there presumably the person who lives in that house. So, I think, just a little heads up to that person would definitely be appreciated as well.
[Jack Buckley]: and as much as a courtesy as anything else. I will separating my traffic commissioners, taking that hat off and putting on my chief of police hat. I do believe when we go through this process, I will meet with director Blake and have some conversations about better lighting, better signs, see what we can do to kind of make these much safer and allow for more parking in the area. It may be a redesign. It may be sliding some cars back and fit some space in there. And so I will request that as chief, as this moves forward to have that done.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: Thank you.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, thank you for the presentation. 2023-13, request for a temporary permit parking variance from Hannah Dillick, 1 Irving Street. Is the petitioner present?
[Adam Hurtubise]: There we go. Is the petitioner for Irving Street present? Wow.
[Alicia Hunt]: Somebody said yes in the chat, Hannah Dillick.
[Jack Buckley]: And, oh yeah, I'm sorry. It's only a big enough H, I couldn't see it. I was skipping right around it. It's a long day.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, hi.
[Jack Buckley]: Hi, with apologies, welcome. And thank you for your petition and thank you for your participation. The floor is yours if you could present your petition.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, so I'm a travel healthcare worker. I'm only here for a temporary assignment. And We got visitor, it's myself and my boyfriend, we're renting from the landlord at 1 Irving, and we got permit parking, visitor parking for the street, but my boyfriend keeps getting tickets because we're only allowed to be parked for two days out of the week, but we live here every day, so we don't have anywhere to park the car on the other days during the week.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, and you said you're temporary as a as a traveling nurse. What can you give us an idea of what temporary means? How long?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, the assignments are three months long, and then they have the possibility for an extension. And the extension would be another three months. And the hospital has told me that they're most likely going to have me extend. So we'll probably be here for six to nine months total. But both of our cars are still registered in Pennsylvania where we're from, because we're not actually moving here. It's just for while I'm working. And while we're here, he's also working at Amazon. That's why we have both cars, because we both drive separate places.
[Jack Buckley]: OK. Thank you for that clarification, commissioners.
[Alicia Hunt]: Chief, this is fascinating. It actually kind of reminds me of the military exception that if you're on, you know, temporary assignment here, and in this day and age, I know there's a huge demand for healthcare workers. And the idea that they're bringing in traveling nurses temporarily is, you know, we need that, I think, in our area.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know that, well, I don't know for sure, but I think that Somerville has permits specifically for healthcare travelers. So I was wondering if we could just get sort of a denment to our current visitor parking so we can park here while we're here for the working.
[Jack Buckley]: Go ahead, Masha.
[Alicia Hunt]: I think that what some, maybe Lily will message me if I'm wrong, but I think what Somerville has is like something that we've started to have is for a healthcare worker as if you're the nurse that goes into their homes, right? And so we have permit parking, but you need to go visit like six different houses in our town on permit parking streets, that you can do that. I mean, it's possible they have something like that, But I know they have the OT that goes to their house or the nurse that goes to their house.
[SPEAKER_00]: I see. Yeah, we're just trying to figure a solution out because the parking tickets keep going on his record. And since he drives for a living, he can't have that because it affects him getting jobs. So we're just trying to figure out how we can park while we're here working.
[Alicia Hunt]: Right, and you have a short term, and that's actually very helpful for us to understand too, by the way. You have a short term lease then in Medford, it sounds like?
[SPEAKER_00]: I do, it's currently only until April 8th, because I haven't been officially given the extension, but then once I get the extension, I'll extend the lease with my current landlord.
[Alicia Hunt]: And it appears that one Irving Street has a garage behind it. Do you not have access to that?
[SPEAKER_00]: No, it's not ours.
[Adam Hurtubise]: There's a tiny shop.
[Alicia Hunt]: Oh my gosh, it's a store. Sorry, I zoomed in. I bet it was a garage. It looks like one.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think they changed it into maybe a little coffee shop or something.
[Alicia Hunt]: Nourish the soul. These juices, who knew?
[Bob Dickinson]: It's never opened.
[Alicia Hunt]: That's weird. But neither here nor there, so there is no parking associated with this property.
[SPEAKER_00]: just the street parking, which is all permit, which is why we had the landlord get the visitor permits when we came, before we came, but they're not sufficient for our needs while we're here.
[Alicia Hunt]: So I have to ask though, why would you rent a location that didn't have parking if you knew you were only here temporarily?
[SPEAKER_00]: So when I rented from him, he told us that he had one parking permit, and he could give that to us. And I told him that we both had cars, because we go to separate jobs. And he went to City Hall to get the second one. I think the problem is that they're just visitor parking, because we're not residents. And you're only allowed, it says on the visitor permit, two days out of the one week period, not counting Sundays. So since our cars are parked here for more than two days in a week, we just continuously are getting tickets.
[Alicia Hunt]: Interesting. I think, Lily, this goes back to what we were talking about in the background about communications with the landlords and proper notifications to tenants. And we should talk with the city councilor about the legal rights document that is intended and actually our health. So we have just, I think voted or about to vote that every landlord has to give tenants a legal rights notice and our health department is going to say what's on it. And I think it sounds like we need to make sure there's some parking information on there. because this feels to me like a landlord misleading the tenants about what's allowed and legal parking in Medford. But you shouldn't have to suffer from that, but we should be aware that that kind of situation is going on. In fact, I was told recently that landlords have been known to get visitor's permits and sell them. And I wonder if this is exactly the kind of thing that we've been hearing about.
[Jack Buckley]: uh, thoughts from the other commissioners questions. I mean, I'll myself, I prefer back that we have always allowed the military exceptions. Um, under somewhat under the theory that whether or not they're in the military or temporary there, there would be a resident there entitled to a resident permit parking pass, but for their temporary assignment. So thoughts of Commissioner McGiven, Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Tim McGivern]: How is it going to work in the parking enforcement system if they are not ready to work?
[Alicia Hunt]: That's correct. That's actually, if we remember the director of parking expressed to some of us that having a not a Medford plate was going to be a significant technical problem to her. If I understood last week's problem correctly.
[Tim McGivern]: Yeah. So this would, I think this Alicia, this would fall squarely into that issue where cars aren't registered in Medford. So they wouldn't be able to enforce the permit. In other words, we could say today at this meeting, yes, you have your permit, but they would have no way of inputting into their enforcement system. That car is in the system, if I understand it correctly.
[Alicia Hunt]: I know what it is. It's that we have a street-by-street parking permit issue program, and it's tagged to the street that your legal address is on. And if the legal address is in another state, then they don't know where they're allowed to park.
[Tim McGivern]: The system doesn't connect those dots.
[Unidentified]: I don't feel about it, but...
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: If we're inclined to approve this, I have an idea.
[Jack Buckley]: Go for it.
[Alicia Hunt]: What if we said that, that we approve it or that we are giving permission, we're delegating the authority on this location to the chief of police, such that that would then allow you to work with the parking director and see if there is a solution that would work without them having to wait till the next traffic meeting to come back and be reheard on it. That we would delegate this specific this traveling nurse at this address to the chief, and then you can, I hate to put it on you, but at least that way she doesn't have to wait till the next meeting if there is in fact a solution that we're not aware of. And if the solution is that they can put it in their system, great. But I remember very distinctly that this is gonna be a technical problem.
[Jack Buckley]: I have no problem if that is a motion made that I could work directly on behalf of the commission with the parking director to see what we can do to accommodate traveling there.
[Alicia Hunt]: I'd like to know if the other commissioners, I mean, I can make it a motion, but I want to see if there are any objections or other questions or concerns first.
[Tim McGivern]: No objections. I think there's a prudent way to go about this.
[Bob Dickinson]: I agree. I think this is a bigger issue. of continuing these landlords relying upon city services to provide for their tenants, which is a loophole in our structure that I'd like to fix. But at the same time, I don't think she should suffer while we try to fix problems. Whatever is the best way to get her out of this issue and stop the parking tickets.
[Jack Buckley]: I'm sorry, commissioner prior to the motion. I just want to see, cause we have a lot of people present here in theory. I want to see if anyone has any, public comment on this outside of the petition. So I'm going to open up floor publicly or any comments or questions. Raise your hand, wave, thumbs up something. Okay. Seeing none. I defer back to commissioner Hunt. Thank you.
[Alicia Hunt]: I was first gonna offer that we'll follow up. I'm pretty sure Danielle in my office is working on that tenants rights document with the city council and we'll follow up. I'll ask Lily to help me remember. We'll talk to Danielle about it and see that feels like the right place because if a landlord is forced to give information about parking to their tenant as they move in, that, will make it much harder for them to then also be, at least then the tenant will know that the landlord's breaking the law, so to speak. So that aside, I would motion to delegate the issue of a temporary parking permit for Hannah Dillick at 1 Irving Street and her partner to the chief of police.
[Bob Dickinson]: Before we put that, will that get her the relief she needs quickly?
[Jack Buckley]: I don't know that we can guarantee the relief. I just know that we can, it guarantees that we will, the traffic commission will work on her behalf to arrive at a solution. Okay, so on the commission, on the motion of Commissioner Hunt to approve 2022-13, and to delegate the authority to the chief of police to attempt a solution with the parking director, given their believed or perceived system problems. Seconded by Commissioner McGiven. Roll call vote, Alva.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGiven?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes. Chief Buckley. Yes, on a vote of four to nothing, the petition is approved. And so to the petitioners, I suggest to you, I will take some time tomorrow and reach out to the parking director and see if she can offer some solutions. We have had situations like this arrive in the past, and I'm sure there's something, hoping that there's something we can do. We do know that the new system does have some problems with allowing out of state plates, but hopefully we can work for, and I will work on your behalf, on behalf of the Traffic Commission. My email address, it is online. It's jbuckley at medfordpolice.com. If you can send me an email tonight or tomorrow, jbuckley at medfordpolice.com, just so that we have a form of communication directly, I appreciate it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, is it J, just the letter or J, J-A-Y?
[Jack Buckley]: Good question. No one ever asked that. J, the letter, B-U-C-K-L-E-Y. A B-U-C-K-L-E-Y at medfordpoliceoneword.com.
[SPEAKER_00]: And do you need me to send you anything specific or just my name and my contact?
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah, just your name and a contact so that I can have it readily available and to kind of if I need to ask you questions and if you want to add your cell phone, that's fine also.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, great. I'll send it.
[Jack Buckley]: I appreciate your participation and your understanding tonight. Thank you very much.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thank you.
[Jack Buckley]: 2023-14, request for visitor passes for Bow Street from Stephanie Boehmer, 465 Broadway Apartment 11. The note says that she's been issued in the past. I do see the petitioner. I am gonna, oh, you're on mute. Welcome and for your participation in your petition, please present.
[ir8Km2ErkFk_SPEAKER_18]: Hi, thank you. My name is Stephanie Bama I'm a resident of 465 Broadway apartment 11. When I moved in last year I purchased my residential parking permit which is a variance for both street, and which is done by license plate not stickers, at least for my street. And at that time I was also issued to guest passes or visitor passes. This past December, when I renewed my residential parking permit, I was told that those passes were not yet available and that I should return later to City Hall for them. I've been following up throughout January with the parking department. First, I was told I should speak with the traffic department since they might know what the situation was. I've had several conversations with the secretary, Ms. Erickson, who was as helpful as she could be, but that the parking department needed to issue me the guest passes. Eventually, the parking department told me that the visitor passes simply aren't available anymore. Previously, I made only occasional usage of the visitor passes just once a week when my father visits me and I drive him to his appointments at the VA downtown. This weekend, however, my car had to go into the shop and I was faced with how to park the vehicle I'm borrowing, my mother's car, with license plates that are not permitted at my home. I ended up taping these signs to my car's license plate, stating my actual permitted car's license plate number and asking the meter enforcement team for understanding. And for the one day that I pulled this, I've been lucky and not been ticketed. It seems that this change has happened without communication to residents who, as you said earlier, chose our living locations with one understanding of parking capabilities, and that there's no apparent recourse for extenuating situations like the one I'm currently dealing with. I'd like to note that since I've lived at my address, I have not witnessed any inability to find parking on Bow Street. It did get more crowded than usual over the holidays and I had to go farther down the street to find spaces, but I've not witnessed any times at which Bow Street has been full. And finally, I'm really only requesting one visitor parking pass. I have no need of two because I fully appreciate the parking challenges your department is attempting to balance. Thank you.
[Jack Buckley]: Thank you for the presentation, quite clear. But I'm going to ask the questions just to clarify. You currently have a resident permit backing variance to park your own vehicle on Bow Street. And there's really no issue with that aside from the rental car that you had. And so this is an issue of a variance to allow visitor parking passes. Correct. One in this case. All right. Can you tell me, you've had them in the past, was it last year or like maybe two years in the past?
[ir8Km2ErkFk_SPEAKER_18]: Yep, they gave me two last year when I got my regular resident parking permit.
[Jack Buckley]: Historically, I'm not questioning that, when we grant variances, they do not come with visitor passes. And so there are occasions where they've been allowed. And do you recall If you've been before the traffic commission, I know a lot of the residents up on Broadway, we've been through this issue a lot in how the resident, the building is situated. Did you come before the commission in the past requesting a variance for yourself?
[ir8Km2ErkFk_SPEAKER_18]: No.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, so you just, you showed up at, last year had to be, was it City Hall or Park Medford, do you remember? Because we had a transition last year.
[ir8Km2ErkFk_SPEAKER_18]: It was the City Hall, but if it's helpful, before I accepted that lease on that apartment, I researched the parking situation and I made a phone call asking what the situation would be. And at that time, they mentioned that you get two parking permits for visitors with your own.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay. And that was City Hall?
[Unidentified]: Yeah, the parking department at City Hall. Commissioners, questions of the petitioner?
[Tim McGivern]: Is this another one of those situations, Chief, where the visitor passes got reset when they switched over to the new system? Was it because we don't give guest passes with variances usually, right? So anything that was active with guest passes prior to the switchover, do I have that right?
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah, you had the right and I guess that's where my other question was leading, you know, who actually issued it, but it sounds like City Hall issued the parking passes and passed, not Park Medford. I know Park Medford sometimes would just grant them and say, okay, your residence, even though you're under variance and grant these visitor passes, but coming in house, we're kind of locking up the rules a little bit as they should be and applied. And it sounds like according to the petition that City Hall themselves granted it last year, as opposed to Medford. And then we're kind of trying to hold them to the rules. So it is a little bit interesting that the parking department themselves has issued it in the past and it's now declining.
[Unidentified]: We're only asking for one, right?
[Bob Dickinson]: She's only asking for one. That's correct. And are we confident now it may not be a city hall decision anymore. It's a traffic commission decision.
[Jack Buckley]: Variances are always a traffic commission. And that's why I asked that other question. Has she prepared before the traffic commission in the past? So it's a curious little case that, you know, a variance was granted. you know, to allow her resident permit blocking. And then visitor passes were associated with that. And she had not appeared before the traffic commission because it would be a traffic commission vote in the past. Go ahead, Alicia.
[Alicia Hunt]: I was going to say, isn't this the apartment building? There's some apartment buildings on Broadway that have permits on these streets behind And I thought that some of them like officially did not have visitor permits or something. I remember like, this is just ringing a bell for me. Maybe I'll search my old notes.
[Jack Buckley]: We've dealt with this historically over the years, at least, at least, you know, my four years in the traffic commission with this resident, and we've always granted the variance for their resident permit. But Alva, correct me. I don't believe we grant visitor passes often there, do we?
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Not often, but there are occasions that some have been granted.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, so the Traffic Commission has granted exception in some of those cases. Alva's got a much better memory of this than I do. And so, I mean, in one sense, I'm happy the petition's here because now we're at least, the Traffic Commission will be taking a formal vote on this and it will, you know, codified and she'll have no issues in the rest of the years. But it's intriguing that the parking department has allowed this in the past and now sending it for the traffic commission.
[Unidentified]: Yeah, that's the part I don't understand. Anyway.
[Alicia Hunt]: I mean, I'm inclined to if she came in and said that I want a parking visitors permit passed so that my father can come once a a week and park his car and I can drive him to the VA, I'd be inclined to say that. Although I would say, why don't you drive your father's car and leave yours on with the parking permit? But I mean, it seems like a pretty reasonable request. I actually think our biggest issue is that we need to figure out a way that if people have a rental for some, like a replacement car for some reason, that they don't get ticketed. Like that's actually a real thing that needs a solution in our city. So Lily put it on the list before she had to leave.
[Jack Buckley]: Other commissioners, and then I'll open it up to public comment.
[Bob Dickinson]: I think I'd be willing to support this, but we've, we have had this building come to many a meeting before today. And I think we're going to open up a can of worms for all the other people that live in that building. But you know, I, I don't know if we're willing to face that, but I would support a motion. I think it's a reasonable request for a one working spot.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay. Public comment. Anyone here want to speak to the petition? For or against? Seeing none, I throw it back to the commissioners to hear a motion.
[Alicia Hunt]: Just before I motion to approve it, I do want to point out to make sure that the petitioner is aware. that technically these visitor passes can only be used for two days a week. And therefore, even with a rental car and a visitor's permit, after the first two days, you risk ticketing as well, which is why I think there's a bigger issue here we have to address as well.
[ir8Km2ErkFk_SPEAKER_18]: And I ask, does that just mean you have to move it? And then the two days?
[Alicia Hunt]: No, each one of these is coded. And if they see it being used, it goes into their system, they see it being used a second time, it goes in their system, and the third day, they give you a ticket.
[ir8Km2ErkFk_SPEAKER_18]: Okay, so if I listen, it's parked. Okay. But then if it's gone for a day and then it comes back, does it reset? Like if I'm having my break entire break clients redone and they told me it's going to be a week.
[Alicia Hunt]: Right. It's two days in any seven day period, I think, or it's two days out of every calendar week.
[Unidentified]: I'm not sure, but seven days. All of this is very well, but I'm sorry.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay. Put that one. Um, and that is something the commission has talked about in the past. So, uh, we're going to have to work to resolve and some of these other passes. Uh, but for the present time, I think we're at the point of some, uh, understanding of approval. Do we have a motion? I made the motion on the motion of commissioner Buszynski to approve 2023-14, a request for visitor passes for Bow Street from Stephanie Boehmer, seconded by?
[Alicia Hunt]: Second.
[Jack Buckley]: Commissioner Hunt. Alba, roll call vote, please.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGibbon?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes. Chief Buckley? Yes. On a four to nothing vote, the petition is approved. I just asked you to give us a day or two. We're just going to reach out and contact the parking department. I'll tell them how we voted and give them a chance to get caught up with us. I appreciate your participation and your petition tonight. Thank you.
[ir8Km2ErkFk_SPEAKER_18]: Thank you. So I should revisit the parking department, the same one I previously went to. And in the meantime, do you think I'll get away with this still?
[Jack Buckley]: I can't promise you that, but Sergeant Rogers is here and we have in the past been successful in notifying the parking department for some consideration. And so if you could, I don't know if you heard my email back, but jbuckley at medfordpolice.com, just send me your vehicle information that you're currently riding the rental. And I will have Sergeant Rogers reach out and request. I say that we've had success, but I can't promise it because they have to get that information distributed. So, all right. Thank you. All right. Thank you. So 2023-15, and it's a request from Mr. Steve Schuman, 18 Cottage Street for visitor passes. Alva has been informed by the petitioner that he wishes to withdraw procedurally. I don't know that since the petition isn't from us, we can't just withdraw it ourselves. We probably have to take a vote to just withdraw it.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Okay.
[Jack Buckley]: Obviously, historically, when the petitioner asks to withdraw, we can just remove it from the agenda. Commissioners have any issues with that? And I don't know how Robert's Rules falls into that play, but I mean, I think that if the petitioner has given us a written request to withdraw, then we can move on from that.
[Bob Dickinson]: I don't have an issue, but if we need to make a motion, I'm happy to make a motion to deny the request based upon petitioner's request to remove the item.
[Jack Buckley]: You know what?
[Alicia Hunt]: It's better to just withdraw it because in the event that they actually change their mind and come back next month, then we haven't denied it previously.
[Bob Dickinson]: Yeah. Okay. I mean, if it's not a procedural problem, go ahead and just remove it. Okay.
[Jack Buckley]: And, okay. So that concludes new business.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Could we take out of order? Spencer Road, their opt-out petition that I should have put as the first part of our business, even though it was a tabled issue. But the petition has been found.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay. 2022-66 is tabled. It's an opt-out petition from Spencer Road, and they're wishing to opt out of the outer transit resident parking, geoelectric parking area that was the quarter of a mile. Uh, we have discussed this in the past and, um, at one point there was a timing of whether or not the petition was filed, whether or not we received it. We have it before us. Um, and not a first to discuss this, though, I would need a motion from a commissioner to remove this item from. Table business motion on the motion of commissioner business key, uh, to remove 2022-six, six from table business. Do I have a second? Second by Commissioner given local vote over Commissioner given. Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner hunt. Yes, Commissioner Brzezinski. Yes, exactly.
[Jack Buckley]: Yes, 2020 on the motion for nothing. The motion is approved 2022-six six opt out petition from Spencer Road auto transit resident parking. Back in the summer, I believe we approved that area. We have the petition, Alva. And we have petitions from seven, Spencer, eight, Spencer, 11, Spencer, 14, Spencer. Is there someone present wishing to speak on behalf of the petition? Can you raise your hand? Can I see that, Alva, real quick? Did we get indicated that somebody would be here? We probably should have checked this before.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: No, Mrs. Marcelino did call me and was wondering if it was going to be on the agenda. And I said, yes, it was.
[Jack Buckley]: But none of the current members here to speak on Spencer Road.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Well, isn't that?
[Unidentified]: Go ahead.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: We approved several others, seven others at a previous meeting, and they were all opt-out petitions. But I do think that there probably were some people in attendance. That's before we voted to deny 2022-49 that additional list. Yes.
[Jack Buckley]: I will let you know, based on the petition, it appears there are six houses on Spencer Road. Four of them have signed the petition. Two of the other residents have not. So I cannot tell you that it is a unanimous petition. Although since this has been hanging with the traffic commission for several months, I've never heard of anyone suggesting that.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: They, you know, they have had petitions previous when permit parking was approved and they also had it removed.
[Tim McGivern]: So they had it and then it was removed in 2018. And then we basically by voting for that quarter mile area, put it back on them again. And then now they're coming to us to opt out. All right. Two out of six units. I mean, they're going back to the way they were before we voted on the quarter mile area. So this seems like almost like a housekeeping one. Exactly. I mean, I'd be okay without them presenting.
[Alicia Hunt]: Right, to be clear, this is in the area that we actually, there is no permit parking, right? It's in the outer ring.
[Jack Buckley]: And this is in the inner ring, quarter mile.
[Alicia Hunt]: This is in the inner ring.
[Jack Buckley]: And in conjunction with that, we have already excluded like, hold on. Yeah, it is in the interim.
[Alicia Hunt]: And now that I guess my only concern is that they filed the petition. We put the permit parking in place. Did the signs go up? The fact that nobody's here, does that, do they realize, I just want to make sure they're back on, that they get it, that it's not like they're going, Oh, wait a minute.
[SPEAKER_17]: I don't know.
[Jack Buckley]: I think I walked us into this one. I don't think, I think I assumed that some of the people still present here are here to speak on Spencer Road.
[Bob Dickinson]: And if I... Chief, how many houses did you say there were, seven, six?
[Jack Buckley]: It appears there's six with four have signed the petition.
[Bob Dickinson]: And no one from Spencer Road is here today? Correct. can we promise ourselves to give a concerted effort to let these people know that they really need to show up? We did.
[Jack Buckley]: There was an understanding. I spoke with Secretary Erickson. She informed them that it would be tonight.
[Bob Dickinson]: From my perspective, the lack of unanimity and then the fact that no one's here to defend the opt-out petition, I'd almost be willing to motion to deny the request.
[Jack Buckley]: Procedurally, I think the chair probably should have seen if the petitions were present before we asked to remove it from the table items. So I am also uncomfortable moving forward tonight.
[Bob Dickinson]: We can motion to put it back on a table item if you'd like. I'd just like to come to, again, like we've talked about before, I'd like to come to a finite time when we start to decide on these items. you know, if people, if it's important to them, they'll all come and or the majority of them will come again. I don't, I don't like four out of six. I think that's pretty good. But at the same time, you know, it is in this zone where we were all pretty confident that was, you know, the parking issues were going to be bad. So if you'd like a motion to put it back on table items, I'd be happy to make that motion.
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah, I think, you know, I feel for those residents and we probably have some There was some confusion earlier on when they were present or not, but we had not received the petition, but I do think it's probably bad precedent to have, to start passing petitions without anyone present.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: They never petitioned for Permapaki.
[Jack Buckley]: It was in the list that Todd presented. Yeah, correct. It was the opt-out, right? They were here in the past.
[Bob Dickinson]: Is there any way to let them know that the lack of unanimity know what's showing up is important to address like the next time we do have this going forward.
[Jack Buckley]: I believe yeah, I've been in contact with them, we can let them know tomorrow.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: I will send them notices and specifically states necessary that some at least someone represent the street.
[Jack Buckley]: I think it's, I think they understand it clear that the traffic commission is in support of what they what they desire but we have procedures I think we have to follow we should bring them here. You know, or the petition. So unless the other two commissioners have an objection, I wouldn't mind as chair to suggest that we should retable this.
[Bob Dickinson]: That's fine. Motion to retable.
[Jack Buckley]: On the motion of Commissioner Basinski to retable 2022-66, seconded by.
[Unidentified]: Second.
[Jack Buckley]: Seconded by Commissioner Hunt. I'll have a roll call vote.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGibbon.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt. Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Yes.
[Jack Buckley]: Chief Buckley. Yes on a point of the vote the motion is approved in 2022-66 is tabled. I'm going to return to the top of the agenda quickly 2023-10 handicapped parking sign for 525 Main Street. Last name of Kuna. Is anyone present to speak on this petition? Seeing none, the motion was made to table it to the end of the meeting, but anyone want to suggest?
[Alicia Hunt]: Leave it on the table then and see if they want to come. I mean, do you feel. I'm more concerned that the sergeant wasn't able to speak to the resident. Sometimes we've approved these because you've had a conversation, they understand what it means, what the issue is, what they're allowed and not allowed to do.
[Jack Buckley]: Can I ask real quickly, how much conversation have we had with the petitioner during this process?
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Not very much. The petition has been with us since November, but I just put it on this agenda because of all the other stuff that was taking so much time.
[Jack Buckley]: To your original, go ahead. For the commissioners, there is a handicap space, one house up from there. There is a large driveway between this house and the next house. If we could maybe zoom in on it, but I believe the driveway is for the other house. I don't believe they may have a driveway. Well, 525.
[Tim McGivern]: That pushes me more in the camp of wanting to hear from the petitioner, because there's already a handicapped space. I noticed that too. There's a handicapped space one house away. There's exactly two houses up. Two houses up.
[Jack Buckley]: there was a handicapped space there.
[Tim McGivern]: Yeah. I mean, the motion was made already to put it on the table. I think it's on the table. If it's been in the docket since November, then maybe we can notify them, let them know what's going to be on an upcoming agenda.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Okay.
[Jack Buckley]: So is that a motion to- It's already been voted on.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, just table to the end of the meeting, they showed up.
[Jack Buckley]: So we don't have to table.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: You don't have to vote on it because it already has been voted in the table.
[Jack Buckley]: Thank you. Okay, so that concludes new business and some of the table business items. Historically, we don't speak to non-agenda items, but there seem to be quite a few people here present. So I'll open it up for public participation. If somebody would like to make a comment, they have a question of the commission, raise your hand.
[Tim McGivern]: Maybe before we do that, chief, we did have Gaston street plowing was a table for date certain for today.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay.
[Tim McGivern]: So I think I'm going to take that off the table.
[Jack Buckley]: Got the petition number.
[Adam Hurtubise]: 2023-04.
[Jack Buckley]: On the motion of commission of a given. Sorry, I gotta get my notes back up.
[Unidentified]: On the motion of... What was the number again, Tim?
[Jack Buckley]: Sorry. On the motion of Commissioner McGibbon to remove 2023-04 from table business. Do I have a second? Second. Seconded by Commissioner Brzezinski. Roll call vote, Alba.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGibbon?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes. Chief Buckley? Yes. For nothing, the motion has been approved and removed from table items. Commissioner McGivern, let me do this again. I probably made this back. Are residents from Gaston Street present? Raise your hand. Wonderful. That will explain. You answered all my questions. That's a plus. I should have learned my lesson the first time. Okay. So Commissioner McGivern, you have the floor. I believe you were requested to make some determinations on this.
[Tim McGivern]: Yep, I was asked to get some information from flowers and if this would impact, this decision would impact plowing operations. And the answer is no, it should be insignificant to plowing operations. So anyway, that can be added to the mix of information that we're considering for this particular decision. And I think there was, we also received the letter, I think, that my fellow commissioners received as well.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Paul Ellis.
[Jack Buckley]: Yes, I'm just trying to see if the petition that letter signer is here. Just catching up on my notes. Does someone from Gaston Street on the petition wish to speak?
[Unidentified]: Yes, Nancy, I'm gonna unmute you there. Hi, welcome.
[SPEAKER_07]: Thanks for having us again. And happy Valentine's everybody.
[Jack Buckley]: I was supposed to say that earlier.
[SPEAKER_07]: So I just wanted to go over a few bullets that I want to throw out there. Um, so the petition we did, we have 39 houses on our street 31 people signed for having it on the odd side. And like I said before, obviously there's more spots because we can park in front of our garage where we can't use or our driveway and stuff like that. So there's more spots over here. And we did point out about the hilliness and cars sliding into cars when they're parked on the even side, which is going to be a problem. If we're going uphill, we're going to slide backwards a little bit and maybe hit somebody. And like you said, Mr. Ellis wrote a letter and also Donnie Bayless wrote a letter she lives across the street at number. I forget the name. But, so. And we did find something on your Medford emergency parking ban that says Medford, Gaston Street parking is odd side always only. And it doesn't give any numbers or anything else. And Mike did bring that down to you guys to look at.
[Unidentified]: So we'd just like to continue our pursuit of getting it over here officially. Anybody else? Chief, do we have a way to confirm that reference? There's another person with their hands up, but sorry, did she say it's on the website that way?
[Tim McGivern]: I'm just looking for the regs now. I got the regs that have all the lists in them.
[Unidentified]: I didn't think we actually listed snow emergencies. Hi.
[Tim McGivern]: What document are you referencing there, ma'am?
[SPEAKER_20]: If you go on the MedFed website and you scroll down to snow removal, and then on snow removal, you go down to exemptions. then you'll find Gaston Street has odd side parking all year long, every year. I just checked it this morning, it's still on there.
[Alicia Hunt]: Here, I can put the link in the chat. You might need to pop open the lists.
[SPEAKER_20]: medfordmass.org and it says snow removal in a block.
[Bob Dickinson]: Alicia, I think I put it on the chat. I don't know that I got it right.
[Unidentified]: Yeah, that's the same. So then at the parking regulations exemptions, you click it open and open it up.
[Alicia Hunt]: I will say that I feel that there are some people who feel that it'll be inconvenient to park across the street. What I heard was that people were concerned that they would shovel out spots and then someone else would park in it and that's really honestly a problem anywhere and everywhere. Yeah, like that's doesn't matter what side of the street it is you that's a difficulty that people have to navigate with the people that live around them. What was most compelling to me was the idea that our enforcement of the direction that you park has is new this year. And that is now forcing people to park in a certain direction. And you'll forgive me that it A month later, I'm not remembering all the details, but if it used to be that you parked one the opposite direction of the way you were supposed to for safety, and so you didn't slide down the hill, now you can't do that on the alternate years because of the enforcement of the proper side of the street parking. So that's actually something that's changed from the way it used to be in previous years.
[SPEAKER_20]: Sure. Because if I'm parked across the street from my house, I have to park uphill. So when I tried to get out of my spot on a snowy morning, you can't go uphill on ice.
[Alicia Hunt]: You slide backwards. Whereas if you were parked, would you in the previous years have parked on that side of the street, but the wrong way, right? Pointed downhill.
[SPEAKER_20]: Then I would leave my home and head towards Brackett.
[Alicia Hunt]: And you would just sort of slide out of the spot a little bit, but you wouldn't be sliding backwards.
[SPEAKER_20]: You can put it in low and have more control of your vehicle. And that's the sunny side too, the even side. So the snowmobiles are faster on their side of the street as well.
[Alicia Hunt]: I honestly find that as the most compelling sort of safety thing that perhaps not all the residents have experienced yet, because honestly, we've had almost no snow this year.
[SPEAKER_20]: But in two years, it might be an issue.
[Jack Buckley]: For the record, while we're still in debate, the traffic commission's historical notes have overnight winter parking, Permanently assigned to even side of Gaston Street from Fulton Street to Hayne Street only and that was passed. In 2006 and it's been that way so Fulton to Haynes is even side only that is the records, I know the city has undergone some renovations to their website so. I mean, I'm going to have to look into that, but as chair, we have to go by the traffic commission records. And I do know that that is accurate. I mean, I've worked up in that area for a while.
[SPEAKER_20]: So I get to get to Fulton ends is in between. So from Haynes to bracket, they also back on the odd side.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Well, Haynes to Brackett should be changed every other year, right?
[SPEAKER_20]: No, they don't.
[Unidentified]: I don't know what, what legally, but nobody moves.
[SPEAKER_20]: Everybody's always on the outside.
[Unidentified]: That must be their cell phone.
[Alicia Hunt]: Sorry, can you just repeat that? What was the part that was previously passed according to the Traffic Commission records? And now I'm looking at the map.
[Jack Buckley]: Even side only Gaston to Fulton, Gaston Street from Fulton to Haynes.
[SPEAKER_20]: Interesting.
[Adam Hurtubise]: It's the widest part of the street.
[SPEAKER_20]: Actually, they park on the even side from Gaston to Haines. I mean, full Haines. And then from Haines to Brack, they park on the odd side. Always.
[Unidentified]: That's even too.
[Jack Buckley]: It's interesting that this wasn't brought up last time that we debated this.
[SPEAKER_20]: Yeah, well, there was no Haines when we talked last.
[Adam Hurtubise]: We all have tickets for parking on the evening. Hold on.
[Jack Buckley]: I might be confusing myself, but your petition is to assign There's no emergency parking to the odd side only. Bracket to tap, correct? What you're stating tonight is that all of Gaston is odd side only every year?
[SPEAKER_20]: That's what it says outside.
[Jack Buckley]: They don't say section A, B, C. But we know that that's not accurate because you do odd even every year.
[Unidentified]: Correct.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Okay. I wonder what the city has to say. Thank you. Yeah, they're awesome.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, so go under the promise that it does not exist because we're not practicing it up there.
[Alicia Hunt]: Chief, Nancy Burgess is asking if she can say a word.
[Jack Buckley]: Yep, absolutely. I'm just going to, sorry, just trying to find out a historical log as I get lost.
[Adam Hurtubise]: You're going to have to unmute yourself.
[SPEAKER_07]: It's not my computer, sorry, it's my son's. So I just want to point out again that it's going to be more parking on our side because we can block driveways, we can block garages. So you might have more curb space over there, but we can definitely take in front of our house and park, like in front of my garage that I can't use or in front of Mike's garage that he can't use.
[Unidentified]: So there's more space.
[SPEAKER_07]: than actually what you think for us to park on this side?
[Jack Buckley]: I don't know that you can park in front of your own driveway. I will tell you, you can't.
[SPEAKER_07]: You can't park in front of your own driveway? No. Well, I can cover it up a little bit more than I could pull up on someone else's anyway.
[Unidentified]: And, um, okay.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Let's get back to business here.
[Jack Buckley]: Um, yes, Mr. Richard, I'm going to have to, you can unmute yourself.
[SPEAKER_12]: Well, also, um, I know the letter that Paul sent you, we did mention that there's two fire, um, hydrants on that opposite side. Okay. And I think it would be a safety issue too. If the car is pretty close to it, if they had to get to it, they might have a more difficult time. Whereas if there were no cars parked in the area of the fire hydrants, it would be a lot easier to get to in just the case of a fire. That's something else to look at. So that takes a couple spots away from the opposite side of the street also, which has all the driveways I'd like to mention again.
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah. Okay. I didn't expect this one to look like this time because we're just confused about the city's website. It wasn't an issue last month when we were speaking so. The issue of the website wasn't an issue last month when we spoke.
[SPEAKER_12]: No, we just found that out within the two meetings. One of the guys was researching it, and I had given a copy to Alva too, so she had a copy of it. I mean, I know we weren't getting ticketed from odd even, but There was never an issue with the direction of parking either. So, I mean, this has all come together like one great big explosion. Yeah.
[Jack Buckley]: So the direction of parking is certainly an issue. And you're seeing more and more of that. I will add that, you know, by the law, you can't park in front of your own driveway. We need access and egress.
[SPEAKER_12]: But they're not driveways per se. They're just a garage. They're not, it's not a driveway. It's just a garage on the sidewalk. So I walk from the sidewalk right into the garage. You know what I'm saying? Is there a curb cut on some of these? Yeah, there is a curb cut, yeah. That's what can't be blocked is the curb cut. Believe it or not, there haven't been any issues about that, you know, in all the years. I've been here for almost 35 years and you know, thank God, you know, I'm just, this is just bringing light to right now that I can't do this.
[Jack Buckley]: No, I understand that. It's just that I, at a hearing like this, and if you ask, if it's brought up, I can't grant approval for something like that. I understand. Anyone else wish to speak to comment commissioners thoughts from what you've heard last month in this month?
[Bob Dickinson]: I think the only thing I was concerned with last time was safety. And Tim, I appreciate you doing the legwork to point those things out to us. But I'm really confused at this point. I apologize for that. Is anyone on here not in support of it? Or does there seem to be more people in support of this? I'm confused as to where we are now with the people who are speaking for it or against it.
[Tim McGivern]: There was a few that were against it last time. Yeah. And then one of them rescinded their signature. In general, the majority, what was it? 31 out of 38 or something like that is for it. So from an operational standpoint, like I was reporting back, doesn't really impact the operations.
[Bob Dickinson]: Okay. You know, I think with that, I'd be willing to support the motion. So motion to approve. I don't have I'll defer to you all I don't have anything else to say on this, but I mean I think in this with that with a number of people who are supporting this and. With the great facts and everybody is brought to the table or anything else i'd support the motion.
[Unidentified]: i'll second. Chief, I think you're muted.
[Jack Buckley]: I was muted, sorry. I was wondering why we're getting no response on the motion of Commissioner Brzezinski, seconded by Commissioner Hunt, I'll roll call.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGiven?
[Tim McGivern]: Yes, please.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Bob Dickinson]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Chief Buckley?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes, on the vote of four to nothing, the petition is approved.
[Alicia Hunt]: Chief, there was a message in the chat that Bridget O'Donohue is here for Alston Court. She was told it was going to be taken off the table this week, this month.
[Jack Buckley]: That's correct. I was just looking at that. That's where my distraction lay. Let me just do one thing real quick. Bridget, can you unmute yourself? There you go. Welcome. I believe we had a problem last. We had a problem with audio and video last month for your petition. And it was tabled for this month to try to rectify that problem. And you obviously have audio, so we can definitely have a conversation. So I'll take a motion from the commissioners to remove 2023-05 from table business.
[Alicia Hunt]: No, we don't want to remove it. No, don't remove it. That means we're going to talk about it.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Yes. You know, we have to do each petition. No, no, no. No, no. Because we don't have any more. This is the end of it. And it's in order. Oh, because I've done all the
[Jack Buckley]: It's a procedural right here. So whether or not we have to vote to remove all items singularly from the table, or once we remove, we can remove whatever we want.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: I think we can, but if you want to do it.
[Jack Buckley]: I think I'm going to go with what I've been doing. Motion to remove 2023-05 from table business. Do I have a motion? Motion. Motion from Commissioner Brzezinski. Seconded by?
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Second.
[Jack Buckley]: Seconded by Commissioner Hunt. Alba, roll call.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGibbon.
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
[SPEAKER_17]: Yeah, so I'm looking to get two permit parkings for me and my daughter that live in the house and visitors, two parking visitors passes for Austin Street too. Because... Okay.
[Jack Buckley]: Is Amy here? Amy, can you bring up if you're capable of the map on Austin Court for us to take a look at?
[SPEAKER_19]: Yep, just a sec. Yep, thanks. What was the address? 6 Austin Court. 6, okay. Want to get down onto the street view?
[SPEAKER_17]: Yeah, on the other side, next street over.
[SPEAKER_19]: Oh, I see. There we go. Thank you.
[MCM00001142_SPEAKER_14]: That's pretty old. Yeah. I don't know why it went on 2014. There we go.
[SPEAKER_17]: Okay, so this was considered a fire lane, so nobody can really be parked in there. That's my father's car way there in the back.
[Alicia Hunt]: So can you explain the issue? Is there no parking up there?
[SPEAKER_17]: We can't park in, we'll call this the driveway, the private way. We can't park in there, so I need to park out in the street, myself and my daughter.
[Alicia Hunt]: But there's one parking spot back there.
[SPEAKER_17]: Yeah, that's my father's car.
[Alicia Hunt]: I think we had some questions about how many units? Is this just a single family house?
[SPEAKER_17]: This is a single family house, to the left, and this yellow house is a duplex. And they park on Brook Street. It looks like a big house, but it's a duplex, but the duplexes on the other side of the duplexes on the other side, you can't, you'll see it on Brook Street more so.
[Tim McGivern]: And there's no access from Brooks Street side?
[SPEAKER_17]: No, it's just a walkway. A paved walkway. A paved walkway. Someone's going to get killed out there, but that's beside the point.
[Adam Hurtubise]: I see that walkway.
[Alicia Hunt]: It is fascinating to me how Medford plunked a bunch of houses in the middle of blocks. Yeah, we have been seeing this more and more as we've been getting.
[Adam Hurtubise]: Yeah, this is one of those ones for sure.
[SPEAKER_17]: So there and the other house is probably about four house for cars that are parking on Brooke Street. from five Austrian court.
[Jack Buckley]: To the petitioner, can I ask, you've lived in, I've seen the petition, the original petition. You've all lived in the house since 1965. Right. In historically, you've been able to do what you're doing now, right? Park out on.
[SPEAKER_17]: Yeah, always. Yeah. And, um, it's just in the last year with different things going on, then we started getting tickets and things.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay. Do you know what those is? Is that I'm trying to look at the record right now, but is this Austin street in this area, a resident permit parking street? I don't have a recommendation.
[SPEAKER_17]: I honestly don't know what it is. I went down, I did get permit parking and visitor stickers last year from the city. I gave them my address and they gave me one for my car and two visitor stickers. I think, I'm not sure if there was signs up there before for no parking without permit parking, but I don't see them up there now, but I'm not sure.
[Tim McGivern]: The listing has the south side of High Street as permit parking on Alston Street, not the north side. I'm not sure you need, you said you got tickets for parking on this block of Alston Street? All right.
[SPEAKER_17]: And my neighbor got several of them too.
[Jack Buckley]: And now they, do you have a ticket handy that you could look at and tell us
[SPEAKER_17]: Oh, no, I don't. I did that. That happened a lot, like maybe last year sometime. And then actually my mother has physical therapy and occupational come and they've gotten tickets. One of them got a ticket out there, I think in November. Oh, but you know what hers was because she was parking the wrong direction. So I guess she should have been parking down and she parked up. So.
[Jack Buckley]: So just so the rest of the commissioners can understand what we're looking at. I don't recall of a recent change to resident permit parking on Alston street. It is outside of anything we tried to do with GLX. And we only have a restriction listed from high to Prescott, which is the lower end. Tim, you just referenced something, but it still doesn't appear that there would be, I mean, I guess the point we're making is we can't grant you a permit parking if there's no permit parking there.
[Tim McGivern]: But hopefully... Yeah, I was just referencing the list, probably the same that you're referencing, Chief, that this portion down to Prescott, high to Prescott, is what is restricted parking. And this portion is just restricted from a geometric standpoint, space, as opposed to permit. So you can only park on one side of the street here, and then all other parking rules would apply. but no permit restrictions.
[SPEAKER_17]: Oh, okay. So there may be other reasons you're getting ticketed and... Well, why did I get, I got them last year, a permit to visitor stickers, last year. That's even weirder. Yeah, I got it at City Hall. Well, I don't know. I don't know.
[Jack Buckley]: Let me, I mean, I can do some research for you tomorrow and find out what the citations were. Sergeant Rogers can log into the system and try to track these down. Maybe there's a resolution outside of granting resident private parking, but.
[SPEAKER_17]: If I don't need it, then that's fine. I just don't want to be getting in trouble and getting tickets. I haven't gotten a ticket. I got one ticket a while back, so. But my know one of my mother's occupational therapist she got a ticket, probably November so that's what I just said that why I want to get some. Okay, make sure everything was above board.
[Jack Buckley]: No, I appreciate your efforts, I just want to make sure that we have the capability, like, I don't think we have the capability of doing this. From the chair, I will support a research of your situation, see if we can resolve this outside of this, but I do not think we can grant the petition. That being said, I think I need a commissioner to take a vote so we can deny the petition.
[Alicia Hunt]: Chief, I think that perhaps we could refer this to the chief, the traffic division for more research. Is there a best, I guess my concern is that if she were to appeal, if you were to get another permit parking ticket, is there a better thing for her to do than to appeal it?
[Jack Buckley]: Um, I think we would have to confirm that their resident permit parking tickets. I don't think there's any issue with the, uh, traffic commission, uh, deferring the resolution to say the city of method parking, uh, uh, sergeants or the traffic division. or the parking department, but we can definitely do that and look into it. I just don't see how we can approve the petition.
[SPEAKER_17]: All right. If our cars are fine, then we're good. I just want to make sure we have what we need to get to be parking there. All right, so we'll figure that out.
[Jack Buckley]: All right, we will work on your behalf to try to resolve this also. We have some ways of doing research as to why the citation exists. So I appreciate your participation in your attempts to resolve this. Do we have a motion then to refer this to the traffic division of the Medford Police Department?
[Alicia Hunt]: Motion to refer to the traffic division of the police department.
[Jack Buckley]: Second. Motion on Commissioner Hunt to refer the matter to the Traffic Division of the Bedford Police Department, seconded by Commissioner McGibbon. Alba, roll call vote.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGibbon?
[Bob Dickinson]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Bob Dickinson]: Can we set a date certain on when we'll get a response?
[Alicia Hunt]: Does this stay on our agenda, or we just, this is how we're disposing of it?
[Bob Dickinson]: No. Are we tabling this or are we denying it? I guess that's a great question.
[Tim McGivern]: It's almost administrative action. So we're just deferring it to administrative action if it needs to remain on the agenda at will. But if it's not in our purview, it can just drop off the agenda.
[Jack Buckley]: Well, if we refer it to the police department, I think she has the right to resubmit if we find out that there's a problem.
[Tim McGivern]: Yeah. I think we can take no action on this.
[Alicia Hunt]: Right. Can we remove it and remove it from our agenda and refer it to the police department like if there's no need to come back to this board unless the police department find something that means that it needs to be told me to contact you people so I could get on a variance because where I live where I'm at.
[SPEAKER_17]: They said that I needed parking. That's what City Hall told me, the parking department there.
[Alicia Hunt]: Right. I think either the traffic division or the chief is going to have to follow up with the parking department on that.
[Jack Buckley]: OK. There may be some confusion somewhere along the line. If you can email you and me. Yeah. Could you email me at jbuckley at medfordpolice.com And just to get your contact information, and maybe if you have a receipt or something on the citations, I'll pass it along to Sergeant Rogers and we can hopefully have a resolution for you.
[SPEAKER_17]: Okay, perfect.
[Jack Buckley]: All right, thank you. So where are we on this motion?
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Do we have... Can we move from the agenda and refer to the... Did we vote on it completely?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes, we did. All right. Yes. So four nothing approved, then are we voted or are we not? Yes. Well, nothing approved. The motion has been referred to the police department for quick resolution and it will allow the petitioner if there is a problem to come back before the traffic commission. That wasn't that bad of a meeting. I have to go to city council. I just know while we're on the record, Steve, I did get yours. I have reviewed it. There's like one or two minor things, but I want to kind of meet up again and kind of get some of those table items. And we're on a mission to kind of clear out this table item list. And I've just had a, real all out craziness and so um hopefully tomorrow morning I get a chance to just reach out and explain that to you uh very good all right so did we go through did we did we go through and vote on everything do we need to vote on this last no that's what I just asked did we just vote on this yeah obviously we bought it does anyone not remember a question by alicia's second by and i asked a question and then i threw everything off the rails so let's do it again uh vote alba roll call we'll clear it up commissioner mcgibbon Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt. Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski.
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Buckley.
[Jack Buckley]: Yes. Confirmed for nothing vote. The motion to defer to the police department for resolution has been approved. Commissioner Hasley has the right to come back before the traffic commission. All right, that makes that final.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: I think Commissioner Brzezinski was correct. He answered the question and we never got to you for the vote.
[Jack Buckley]: That's why I asked you.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: I didn't realize it until you said it.
[Jack Buckley]: Apologies. No, you're right. We're going to move forward. That being said, we voted on everything we need to vote. I don't see any new business. I'm hoping that we will be moving in the next meeting to handle some more table business with some efforts from Commissioner Brzezinski. And I have to go to the city council meeting another late night. So I want to say a motion to adjourn on to the next one. Motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn from Commissioner McGiven, seconded by. Yes.
[Bob Dickinson]: Oh, whatever.
[Jack Buckley]: Seconded by Commissioner Hunt. Enjoy your, well let's take a roll call vote real quick. Commissioner McGiven. Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt. Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski.
[Bob Dickinson]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Mr. Buckley.
[Jack Buckley]: Yes, thank you all happy Valentine's Day. See you at the next one. Thanks everybody appreciate it. Yep.
[Bob Dickinson]: Thank you all.