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2011-07-19 TPC MinutesTransportation and Parking Commission City of Northampton 210 Main Street, Room 18, Northampton, MA 01060 (413) 587 -1210 www.northamptonma.gov /tpc MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, July 19, 2011 City Council Chambers, Puchalski Municipal Building 4:04 p.m. — 5:15 p.m. Members Present: Maureen Carney, Russell Sienkiewicz, Debin Bruce, Leslie Stein, James Lowenthal Members Absent: Ned Huntley, Paul Sustick, William Letendre, Wayne Feiden, Gary Hartwell, Jesse Adams Others Present: Laura Hanson, DPW (Proxy for Ned Huntley); Brian... citizen. Meeting called to order at 4:04 p.m. by Chair, Maureen Carney. Quorum met. 1. Public Comment - None a. Chair Maureen Carney, noting the absence of Messrs. Huntley, Feiden, and Letendre, suggested that particular Public Transportation matters be addressed at a later date. 2. Approval of Minutes a. Minutes of May 31, 2011 emergency meeting • Mr. Lowenthal noted his absence at the meeting for the record. • Ms. Stein noted her absence at the meeting for the record. • Ms. Bruce noted Mr. Sustick's presence at the meeting for the record. MOTION, Chief Sienkiewicz, to Approve Minutes; Seconded, Mr. Lowenthal; Abstained, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms. Stein; Motion carried. 1 b. Minutes of June 21, 2011 MOTION, Chief Sienkiewicz, to Approve Minutes; seconded, Mr. Lowenthal; with correction to Scribner error on page 5: "Chief" Carney to "Chair" Carney; Motion carried. 3. Draft Public Transportation Plan a. Leslie Stein reported the Public Transportation Committee has been working on the Plan, noting there were objectives broken down within the plan, though the Committee hasn't been specific to -date. Di -,cii -,-,ion • Mr. Lowenthal said it looks like a lot of work and it looks like a lot of thought went into it; that it's great to see it on paper, noting the multi -model access, including more bike parking racks at existing bus stops, but would like to see it expanded upon. • Ms. Bruce said there is a City Guide specific to types of bike racks, good vs. bad, etc., on the City website OPD. • Ms. Hanson inquired as to whether the Public Transportation Committee was bringing forward the issue for the Transportation & Parking Commission to review and endorse; asked the Chair if this shouldn't be postponed until a larger quorum could be met (the Chair deferred to Ms. Stein). • Ms. Stein said the goal is to add this to the Public Transportation Plan. • Chair Carney asked if it shouldn't be budgeted by DPW. • Ms. Stein clarified that bus shelters are put up by PVTA, usually where the city prefers, although they would encourage the city to put up more if they wanted to. • Chair Carney sought clarification on responsibility of snow removal. • Ms. Stein thanked Ms. Hanson for her assistance in putting the Plan as it stands together. • Ms. Hanson thanked members of the Correctional Facility (community service) for assisting as well. • Ms. Stein suggested that availability for this year's snow removal is not necessarily guaranteed; sought advice on whether the city should put it in the plan (affirmed by Chair). • Chair Carney suggested the Commission should revisit the Plan to solicit more members' input; inquired as to where the Plan goes next —the Planning Board or City Council, etc.; suggested a public hearing as well. • Ms. Stein deferred to the Chair. • Ms. Hanson noted the Plan is on the City's website; suggested to Ms. Stein about emailing other members to solicit comments. 2 • Ms. Stein acknowledged she'd email the body of the Plan to the Chair directly without all the attachments, and the Chair will solicit input from the other members. • Chief Sienkiewicz noted the language at the end of the Plan, indicating that in the past, such plans were sent to DPW for endorsement, essential in the guidelines for what becomes a public document. • Chair Carney reemphasized a need for the Commission to revisit the Plan with a larger body of members in attendance, and that a public hearing could still be arranged. • Ms. Bruce sought clarification between "Municipal" and "Public" when addressing the Transportation Plan. • Chair Carney said the "Public" plan was part of a much larger "Municipal" plan. • Mr. Lowenthal clarified that "Public" is "busses and trains "; "Municipal" is "cars too." • Ms. Stein said she had thought "Public" was "for the public," but now knows it's "funded by the public." • Ms. Hanson suggested the attachments to the Plan should be maintained for reference points on other projects, e.g., Rt. 5/Hockenum Road. 4. Amend Ordinance 312.116 — Tow -away Zones a. Chair Carney noted Gene Tacy, even though he's listed in the notice. b. Chief Sienkiewicz said Mr. Tacy was available earlier as he was inquiring as to the ordinance, so "we" ended up writing it and are posting laminated no- parking zones along the swimming areas, formalizing what had been enforced for a couple of years already solely on the Chief's authority; citing as a "caveat" that he's uncertain how the $3,000 detail is to be budgeted in. Discussion • Chair Carney clarified that the area in question was "up around Arch Street "; read a written request by DPW's Mr. Huntley, indicating DPW doesn't have the funding and for the TPC to vote on seeking funding for the signs. • Ms. Stein suggested kicking it to the City Council, whereupon Chair Carney said the Council doesn't allocate funds but "can only cut the budget, not add to it." • Ms. Hanson said that signs on Conz Street could be made available for Arch Street. • Chief Sienkiewicz noted the Meeting Agenda incorrectly ID' ed Item 4 as "Ordinance 312.16," rather than "312.116." MOTION, Chief Sienkiewicz, to Send to City Council with a Positive Recommendation contingent on a funding source; Seconded, Ms. Hanson; Motion carried; NOTE: Scribner error on Meeting Agenda, referring to Ordinance as "312.16." 5. Ordinance 312.102 — Schedule I: Parking Prohibited All Times ( *Tow -Away Zones) a. Laura Hanson said new curbing, narrowing the width of the street, necessitated her deleting the old ordinance and amended it to include no- parking between Old South Street and Pleasant Street on the side of the Senior Center, and no- parking from Old South Street to Wright Avenue, skipping a section for a bus pull -out from Pleasant Street to a little past Fulton Avenue. Discussion • Ms. Hanson noted old ordinance had an asterisk. • Chief Sienkiewicz sought clarification that with ordinances, no- parking zones are not tow - zones, and that 312.102, which was a no- parking zone is now a tow zone. • Chair Carney, looking up the ordinance online, read aloud "312.102: Parking prohibited at all times." • Chief Sienkiewicz said the asterisk indicated it to be a tow zone, and which is why 312.116 was established. • Chair Carney said Conz Street is not pertinent to 312.116 but is to 312.102. • Ms. Hanson suggested deleting the asterisk in 312.102 and replacing it with 312.116. • Chair Carney suggested asterisk should be added to Conz Street to be consistent with the code; clarified that the practice on Conz Street was no parking, but there was no existing ordinance; alerted Ms. Bruce to the Ordinance specifying those streets with tow -away zones, indicated by asterisks next to the name of the street. • Mr. Lowenthal inquired as to the significance of making a no- parking zone a tow -away zone; "is it a stronger regulation ?" • Ms. Hanson reminded that large industrial vehicles, not to mention 9,000 cars a day, use the street. • Chair Carney read aloud a partial list of the tow -away zones; noted that if the Commission approves the Amendment, that it will not come back as it will have been sponsored by the Commission, and will likely go to the City Council before being referred to Ordinance. MOTION, Mr. Lowenthal, that the TPC sponsor to Amend the Section such that parking prohibited with a Tow -Away Zone for Conz St. northeasterly from Old South St. to 0 Wright Ave., Conz Street northwesterly from Old South St. to Pleasant Street, and Conz St. northeasterly from Pleasant St. to a point 400 feet northwesterly from Pleasant St.; Seconded, Chief Sienkiewicz; Motion carried. 6. Committee & Department Head Reports a. Chief Russell Sienkiewicz announced 7 police cadets to graduate from the Academy. b. Laura Hanson • DPW announced Conz Street construction is moving along ahead of schedule; • MassDOT out of Boston have begun their pedestrian safety project, including thermo - plastic crosswalks downtown, 24 total; that no change will be made to the diagonal crosswalk between South & State Sts., although it has been newly painted; more pedestrian signs and paddles to be established. • Crack Sealing contract for $75K is open to bid on 7/25, not to begin until after October 1 st. • Re: TCA #15 — Massasoit, she said she's willing to put traffic counters out to collect the accident data for a preliminary look at it, but wanted to wait until school starts up again for a relevant accounting. c. Chair Maureen Carney announced her unavailability for the August 16 meeting; inquired as to availability of present Commissioners. Due to scheduling and vacations, the Commission has cancelled the August 16 meeting (to include the Bike/Ped meeting). The next Meeting Agenda will be posted for the following September meeting. Said the Northampton H.S. pedestrian safety issue will be revisited in September. Discussion • Mr. Lowenthal sought a status update on the crosswalk at the intersection of Center & Masonic Sts.; question open as to whether TPC has an agreement with DPW. • Ms. Bruce sought status of the sidewalks on South Street; informed by Ms. Hanson that it's a state project. • Ms. Hanson addressed the big pool of water at the bridge crossing the rail trail near Rt. 10; that ET &L was contracted for repair work there while the City pumps out the water. • Chair Carney said bike racks were approved for in front of the Northampton Optical Studio at the corner of Holyoke & Pleasant Sts.; also said that she's received inquiries about why, if the Commission approved parking fee increases, why not for downtown Florence; speculated that that is because it was never brought forward by a Ward Councilor or a sitting Mayor, and noted the local business association would protest it as a disincentive for people to shop there. • Ms. Hanson said the TPC website needs an upgrade; that the Nelson \Nygaard report is out. • Chair Carney said the TPC is "a free- standing Commission that is staffed by Bill Letendre as the Parking Commissioner by legislation" and that the same funding that subsidizes the Minutes taken for the TPC meetings can also be used to fix the website; suggested Mr. Feiden would know which interns at the Planning Department worked on the website last; suggested a request be made to the Mayor to make a budget transfer from Parking to DPW to cover the website maintenance. • Ms. Hanson suggested getting new people to fix the website. • NOTE (per Chair Carney): TPC website issue to be put on September Meeting Agenda. • NOTE (per Chair Carney): Northampton H.S. pedestrian safety issue to be put on the September Meeting Agenda. • James Lowenthal said he's a friend and neighbor to PTO rep. Monica Green, and that "they're very proactive and interested in pursuing" the pedestrian safety issue. MOTION, Ms. Bruce, for DPW to do a Traffic Count once school is in session; Seconded, Ms. Stein; Motion carried; Abstention, Ms. Hanson. MOTION, Ms. Bruce, to Adjourn; Seconded, Ms. Stein; Motion Carried Unanimously 5:15 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Gregory P. Ammons Johnson & Hill Staffing 0