Councillors address street sweeping complaints, send to committee

By Barbara Taormina

The City Council decided to tackle street sweeping, the $50 fines, scheduling and other problems and complaints about the service. City Council President Anthony Cogliandro said the ticketing issue came up during a conversation with the Parking Department.

“I don’t think we should be penalizing anyone,” said Cogliandro, adding that residents need to be accountable.

Councillors had individual stories about street sweeping in their wards.

Cogliandro said in his neighborhood, on Newman Street, people take an old-school Italian approach to street cleaning. “People clean the street, they clean their neighbor’s, they’ll clean you if you want,” he said.

Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna said Winthrop Street, which is undergoing multiple construction projects, hasn’t been cleaned for a year. According to McKenna, Arrow Street Sweeping, which sweeps the city’s streets, won’t go down Winthrop Street because they’re afraid that all the rocks will damage the machine.

Ward 4 Councillor Paul Argenzio said cleaning was the responsibility of whoever is doing the work, not the city.

Cogliandro suggested changing the schedule so sweeping starts after people have left for work so there’s no need to move cars. He also pointed out that in wards 3 and 6 people don’t always have actual sidewalks, they have transitions. Residents park on them with four wheels up to avoid the street sweeping fines. Parking on the sidewalk is a $25 fine but a street sweeping fine is $50.

Ward 2 City Councillor Ira Novoselsky said there are no issues in his ward. “People are good about moving their cars; they know when to move and wait until the sweeper comes by to return. In my neighborhood, people know.”

Cogliandro stressed that the city should not be towing any cars for sweeping and the council agreed. They voted to refer the issue to the Public Works Subcommittee for continued discussion and review.