By Adam Swift
The city council is looking to get the public works department a little extra help to clean up the city’s sidewalks following snowstorms.
At last week’s meeting, the council approved an order introduced by Councillors Joanne McKenna and Anthony Cogliandro requesting the mayor purchase two new snow removal machines to help clear all main sidewalks in the city, especially around schools and transit stops.
“The DPW has only one old sidewalk snow machine to do all of the city’s main arteries,” said McKenna. “They definitely need some new equipment. It would be reasonable for the city to invest in two new sidewalk machines, at the superintendent of public works’ discretion.”
McKenna and several other councillors praised the work the public works department and city contracted plowers did clearing snow and ice during several storms in February, and agreed that purchasing new snowblowers would help them work more efficiently.
Cogliandro noted that the machine the department currently uses is too big for a number of city sidewalks.
McKenna reminded residents and business owners that they also have a role to play when it comes to cleaning up after snow and ice storms.
“There is an ordinance in place since 2018 stating that all residents and businesses must shovel in front of their properties within 24 hours of a storm,” said McKenna. “Residents can call 311 and report an unshoveled sidewalk anywhere in the city.”
She also noted that anyone who needs rock salt can pick it up for free at the city yard on Charger Street, provided they bring their own container.
McKenna added that MassDOT and DCR also have to up their games when it comes to cleaning up the properties they own.
“Lastly, I would like to commend the DPW workers and the plow drivers for a wonderful job they did clearing the sidewalks and the streets during the last couple of snowstorms,” McKenna said.
Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky thanked the public works department for taking care of a motion he introduced last summer asking that all sidewalks near city-owned buildings be cleared and cleaned.
“I said, why should people be fined for not doing their sidewalks when we do not do our own sidewalks,” he said.
Working with the public works department, Novoselsky said he has seen positive results with the city cleaning up near its city-owned buildings and properties in his ward this winter.
“Whatever we can do to make (the public works department’s) lives easier, I completely agree with,” said Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya.
